The Space Race

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

Branson's space venture Virgin Galactic plans to press launch its new SpaceShipTwo craft later today

The six-passenger, two-pilot winged space plane has been designed to take passengers on five-minute voyages into suborbital space, and will reach altitudes of about 62 miles (100 km)

In a statement released yesterday on the Virgin Galactic website, the firm wrote: 'Our new vehicle will remain on the ground for a while after her unveiling, as we run her through full-vehicle tests of her electrical systems and all of her moving parts.'

 

[Drone]

 

[Drone]

ESA astronaut Tim Peake took this image from the ISS on his six-month Principia mission.

On the left is the Soyuz TMA-19M spacecraft that bought Tim Peake, NASA astronaut Tim Kopra and commander Yuri Malenchenko to the Space Station on 15 December 2015. It docked to the Russian Rassvet module after Yuri manually approached and made contact with the International Space Station.

Next to the Soyuz is the Cygnus supply spacecraft that arrived at the Space Station six days before the Tims and Yuri on 9 December. Cygnus is uncrewed and flies to the Space Station in an automated mode. The spacecraft is then grappled by the 16-m Canadarm and moved to berth with a docking port, here on the US Unity module.

The picture shows how close the spacecraft are to each other – when they arrive and leave they fly at speeds of 28 800 km/h, just like the International Space Station. Cygnus is scheduled to leave the Station 19 February, the Canadarm has already been moved into position ready for its release and deployment. The Cygnus will burn up harmlessly on reentry into Earth’s atmosphere with waste materials from the Space Station. The astronauts have been busy preparing for its departure loading it with waste.

The difference in the spacecraft’s solar arrays are obvious. The Soyuz solar array unfolds in a traditional accordion style, whereas the Cygnus uses a newer fan-like technique resulting in the circular ‘umbrella’ formation.

In the background Earth can be seen with the new day beginning to the left of the image. For the people living in the darker regions it was night at the time Tim took this picture.

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

Orbital ATK's Cygnus cargo vessel was released from the robotic arm on the International Space Station (pictured) after being packed with rubbish. The spacecraft, together with its cargo of garbage and human waste from the space stations toilets, is due to end its journey by burning up in the Earth's atmosphere.

A statement released by Nasa said astronauts Scott Kelly and Tim Kopra released the Cygnus spacecraft using the ISS's Canadarm2 at 7.26am EST (0.26 GMT).
'Earlier, ground controllers at Nasa's Johnson Space Center had maneuvered Cygnus into place for its departure,' it explained.
'Once the spacecraft is a safe distance from the station, its engines will fire twice, pushing it into Earth's atmosphere where it will burn up over the Pacific Ocean.'

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

SES has confirmed that SpaceX's next launch attempt from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station of a Falcon 9 rocket will occur Sunday.28th Feb.

Live feed of launch
http://www.spacex.com/webcast

The Luxembourg-based company took to Twitter today, saying "SES and SpaceX are now targeting to launch #SES9 on Sunday."
Sunday's launch window opens at 6:46 p.m. Eastern time, according to the tweet. An earlier forecast issued by the Air Force's 45th Weather Squadron showed near-perfect conditions for the window that extends to 8:20 p.m.
SpaceX and and SES will use Monday as a backup date in the event of a third scrub.

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

Computers automatically abort a Falcon 9 launch attempt at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Sunday, Feb. 28, 2016.


VIDEO
http://bcove.me/90hjltar


CAPE CANAVERAL — A Falcon 9 rocket lit its engines Sunday night but failed to get off the pad asSpaceX scrubbed its third attempt in five days to launch a commercial communications satellite fromCape Canaveral Air Force Station.
No new target date was immediately set, but the Eastern Range said a fourth attempt to launch the SES-9 satellite would not occur before Tuesday.
CEO Elon Musk said on Twitter that a low thrust alarm led computers to cut off the rocket’s nine Merlin 1D main engines about a second before it would have lifted off from Launch Complex 40.

 

[Drone]

Mayak, the crowd funded Russian satellite is being developed by a group of young scientists and will become the brightest 'star' in the night sky.

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

SpaceX

The Air Force's 45th Weather Squadron has issued a 90 percent "go" forecast for Friday's Falcon 9 launch attempt.
Forecasters expect slight chances of thunderstorms to clear by midday. Cumulus clouds are the primary concern listed in a Wednesday update

Some historic pics
T+0:01:13: Mach 1

T+0:01:24: Max Q

The Falcon 9 rocket reaches Max Q, the point of maximum aerodynamic pressure.



T+0:02:36: MECO

The Falcon 9’s nine Merlin 1D engines shut down.



T+0:02:40: Stage 1 Separation

The Falcon 9’s first stage separates from the second stage moments after MECO.


T+0:02:47: First Ignition of Second Stage

The second stage Merlin 1D vacuum engine ignites for an approximately 6-minute burn to put the rocket and SES 9 into a preliminary parking orbit.


T+0:09:01: SECO 1

The second stage of the Falcon 9 rocket shuts down after reaching a preliminary low-altitude orbit. The upper stage and SES 9 begin a coast phase scheduled to last more than 18 minutes before the second stage Merlin vacuum engine reignites.



T+0:27:55: SECO 2

The Merlin engine shuts down after a short burn to put the SES 9 satellite in the proper orbit for deployment. SpaceX has programmed the engine to burn until the second stage’s propellant tanks are nearly empty instead of timing the engine cutoff to put the SES 9 spacecraft into a specific orbit. The adjustment allows the rocket to put SES 9 into the highest orbit possible.


T+0:31:24: SES 9 Separation

he SES 9 satellite separates from the Falcon 9 rocket in an orbit with a predicted high point of about 39,300 kilometers (24,400 miles), a low point of 290 kilometers (180 miles) and an inclination of 28 degrees. Due to the decision to burn the second stage nearly to depletion, there is some slight uncertainty on the orbital parameters based on the exact performance of the launcher.

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

Spacex will try again in 90 minutes.

Live feed
http://www.spacex.com/webcast

Technical webcast

 

[Finners]

Watching the live stream now, about 5 mins to launch. I dont really understand why I keep reading they are not confident of landing it this time.

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

SpaceX coverage is always great.

 

[Finners]

Haha they lost feed last time on landing, now we all have to wait to see if they landed the first stage again.

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

A fantastic launch and a successful delivery by Falcon 9.

As anticipated the landing was a fail.

The final frame of video from the drone ship, showing the craft's approach - but its fate is unknown

The craft goes supersonic as it heads off to deliver the SES satellite into orbit

The secondary Merlin engine fired as planned, taking the satellite high into orbit, and jettisoning the fairing from the craft.


There is no footage of the 4th landing attempt....here are the first 3

 

[Drone]

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

Europe and Russia are to begin their journey to Mars next week with a mission designed to analyse the red planet's atmosphere and look for signs of life.
The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) is set to blast off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan aboard a Proton rocket on 14 March.

ExoMars is a joint endeavour between the European Space Agency (Esa) and Russia's Roscosmos space agency, comprising two craft - the TGO and the Schiaparelli landing demonstrator.
If all goes to plan, TGO will make a detailed inventory of Mars' atmospheric gases, with particular interest in rare gases such as methane.
Methane could provide one of the biggest clues to whether life exists on Mars.
On Earth, the chief source of methane is bacteria. Billions of flatulent microbes, including many that thrive in the guts of animals such as cattle and termites, belch out the gas.
But methane can also be released by volcanic activity and geological chemistry.

The Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) has super-sensitive instruments for detecting minute traces of methane and other atmospheric gases.
It will look for methane 'hotspots' over the Martian surface, and, crucially, test whether the gas is likely to be the product of biology or geology.
This is because methane breaks down in sunlight after a matter of a few hundred years, meaning any detected must have been made recently.
The aim of ExoMars is to determine whether the gas is coming from a geological or biological source such as volcanoes or microbes, for example, in order to build on 'inconclusive' readings taken by Nasa's Curiosity rover.
Concentrations of methane have been observed in 2003 and 2006 in three specific regions of Mars: Terra Sabae, Nili Fossae and Syrtis Major, and data suggest that water once flowed over these areas.
Deep liquid water areas below the ice layer would be able to provide a habitat for microorganisms, or a favourable place for the hydro-geochemical production of methane.
Meanwhile, Schiaparelli will demonstrate a range of technologies to enable a controlled landing on Mars, which will pave the way for a manned mission to Mars.

The huge Proton rocket is carried from the fueling station to the launchpad at Baikonour spaceport using a train that is specially designed to carry the enormous vehicles

After a seven-month cruise, the lander will separate from the TGO on 16 October and land on Mars on 19 October.
TGO will then enter orbit around Mars and will serve as a data relay for the second ExoMars mission, which will involve a rover and laboratory on Martian soil, planned for launch in 2018.
Esa said the launch of ExoMars 2016 will mark the start of a new era of Mars exploration for Europe.
Both Europe and Russia's fortunes have been mixed when it comes to Mars missions before, with Esa's Mars Express mission successfully putting a spacecraft into orbit in 2003, but its Beagle 2 lander failing to communicate with Earth.
Russia's Phobos-Grunt mission suffered a failed launch and none of the Soviet Union's missions to Mars were successful, New Scientist reported.
Both space agencies hope to enjoy similar glory to Nasa, whose most recent probe, Maven, is currently analysing the planet's upper atmosphere

Artist's impression of the interior of the Schiaparelli entry, descent and landing demonstrator module. Schiaparelli, part of the ExoMars 2016 mission, will launch with the TGO, arriving at the Red Planet in October. Schiaparelli carries a small science payload, called DREAMS (Dust Characterisation, Risk Assessment, and Environment Analyser on the Martian Surface)

http://exploration.esa.int/mars/46475-trace-gas-orbiter/


Launch window: 14 to 25 March 2016
Launch vehicle: Proton-M/Breeze-M
Launch mass: 4,332 kg (including fuel)
Instruments: Orbiter (3732 kg, including 135.6 kg science payload) and Schiaparelli (600 kg)
Dimensions: Orbiter: 3.5 x 2 x 2m with 17.5m solar arrays tip-to-tip.
Schiaparelli: 1.65 m diameter
Live streaming of the launch will begin on 14 March at 08:30 GMT (09:30 CET).
The launch is scheduled for 09:31 GMT (10:31 CET) on 14 March with first acquisition of signal expected at around 21:29GMT (22:29 CET).

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

EXOMARS rollout in preparation for launch on Monday.

 

[alucasa]

You know, it's be AWESOME to be in space.

At the same time, I wonder how many things we wouldn't be able to do in space. For an example, you shouldn't burp in zero gravity because you will vomit afterwards.

And what if you get diarrhea?

etc...

/cool life

 

[dorsetknob]

At the same time, I wonder how many things we wouldn't be able to do in space. For an example, you shouldn't burp in zero gravity because you will vomit afterwards.

And what if you get diarrhea?

Newtons laws of motion (sic pun ) predict

If you puke your travel backwards at about the same speed
if you violently expunge while trouser less your Travel forwards at about the same speed
either way your fellow Astronauts rapidly bundle you into the Airlock and Vent then message HOUSTON
"" Houston we have a problem""

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

Heads up for the imminent Mars launch


streaming


08:30 GMT / 09:30 CET Morning programme, including live launch coverage
11:00 GMT / 12:00 CET Afternoon programme, including regular live updates on the status of the mission, a series of dedicated presentations on the scientific goals and operational challenges and milestones of the ExoMars missions, and informal question and answer sessions
21:10 GMT / 22:10 CET Evening programme, including confirmation of spacecraft separation, solar array deployment and first acquisition of signal
21:45 GMT /22:45 CET End of event




EDIT

THE LAUNCH

http://www.space.com/32255-blast-of...eo.html#ooid=0wMmkwMjE6tQhp_BYSdGmpH7UjmFcpFg

 

[Drone]

Video of ExoMars 2016 liftoff by Телестудия Роскосмоса

Their official channel has other interesting stuff: (Russian)

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

Nasa reveals an experiment to start a fire in space

The test will happen after a Cygnus resupply vehicle undocks from the ISS and moves to a 'safe distance' on March 22.

Located somewhere on the vehicle, a sealed box containing a cotton-fiberglass composite will then burst into flames.
Nasa says understanding how fire spreads in a microgravity environment is critical to the safety of astronauts who live and work in space.
And while Nasa has conducted studies aboard the space shuttle and ISIS, risks to the crew have forced these experiments to be limited in size and scope.
The new series of tests, dubbed Saffire, are designed to provide a better understanding of microgravity fire on a much larger scale.
'A spacecraft fire is one of the greatest crew safety concerns for Nasa and the international space exploration community,' says Gary Ruff, Saffire project manager.
Saffire will involve far larger flames than previous experiments and will investigate the way fire spreads on a range of combustible materials.
Because the experiments will be conducted away from the space station, there is no risk to the astronauts aboard.

Each Saffire experiment will be remotely operated inside a 3 by 5 foot module, split into two compartments.
One side of the module is an avionics bay that contains sensors, high definition video cameras and signal processing equipment.
The other side contains the hardware required to ignite a large flame and burn the fabrics and materials inside.
When the experiments begin, Saffire I and III will burn one large 16 by 37-inch piece of SIBAL cloth, which is a blend of fiberglass and cotton.
This material has been studied in previous microgravity combustion experiments, although at a much smaller size.
The SIBAL cloth will be burned from the bottom to see how the flame spreads.
If the flame extinguishes itself, scientists will light it at the top and see what happens as the flame moves opposite to the airflow.

Saffire II, scheduled to launch in June from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, will ignite a mix of nine different samples of materials used routinely on the space station.
These include flame retardant fabrics used for astronaut clothing, station Plexiglas window samples with edge variations and structures used for storage containers and silicone composites.
The Saffire I payload will hitch a ride on a resupply mission to the space station in an Orbital ATK Cygnus cargo vehicle from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
When Cygnus arrives, astronauts will unload their supplies, but Saffire will remain on board Cygnus.
'Within the first day after Cygnus pulls away from the space station, we will begin the experiment, which will run autonomously once the RUN command is sent,' says Steven Sinacore, deputy project manager.
It will only take a few hours to run the experiments, but Cygnus will remain in space for seven days to ensure complete data transmission back to the Saffire operations team on the ground.'
Eventually, Saffire, along with Cygnus, will be destroyed upon re-entry into Earth's atmosphere.

 

[Drone]

ExoMars news (Russian)

My translation in a nutshell: They had difficulties with Бриз-М booster but now everything seems to be in order. Бриз-М got separated from the main module now and ExoMars is on its proper orbit. In October 2016 it will reach Mars just like it was planned. It seems that the second Mars mission, when they will send rover with new equipment and better robotic drilling system, is delayed (from 2018 to 2020 but maybe not).

In the meanwhile:

РКН Союз-ФГ and ТПК Союз ТМА-20М rollout: (Союз = Soyuz)

 

[Drone]

Some images of ExoMars 2016 & Soyuz TMA-20M

 

[Drone]

Soyuz TMA-20M is already set on Gagarin's Start

 

[Drone]

Edit:

ExoMars spotted in space