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Power hiccup to speed end of Europe's space truck

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A European supply ship will undock from the International Space Station on Saturday as scheduled but be destroyed 12 days earlier than planned because of a power hitch, the European Space Agency (ESA) said Friday.

The Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) Georges Lemaitre will separate from the ISS on Saturday at 1344 GMT at the end of its six-month mission, it said.

But the loss of one of its four power sources means that, as a precaution, the ATV will be destroyed on Sunday rather than on February 27 as initially planned.

"It's a minor concern rather than a critical problem," Dominique Siruguet, deputy head of ESA's ATV programme, told AFP.

"The ATV has four solar panels," he said.

"It can operate as normal using three power chains, but even if this were reduced to two, it would still be able to separate from the ISS and perform re-entry satisfactorily."

Re-entry entails sending the vehicle earthward at a steep angle so that it burns up on friction with the atmosphere at hypersonic speeds.

The ATV is the fifth and final cargo ship that ESA contracted to provide for the US-led ISS project.

Named after the father of the "Big Bang" theory, the spaceship is designed to navigate by starlight and dock automatically with the manned outpost in space.

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Power hiccup to speed end of Europe's space truck

Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) – five years observing the Sun – Video

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Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) - five years observing the Sun
NASA #39;s Solar Dynamics Observatory celebrates its 5th anniversary since it launched on February 11, 2010. The time-lapse video captures one frame every 8 hours from June 2010 to February 8,...

By: SciNews

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Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) - five years observing the Sun - Video

Conrad Shipyard Receives NASA Space Flight Awareness Supplier Award for Pegasus Barge Conversion Project

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Conrad Industries, Inc. announced today its receipt of the NASA Space Flight Awareness Supplier Award based on its performance with the conversion of the NASA Pegasus barge. This annual award honors outstanding performance by hardware, software, or service suppliers who support NASA human space flight programs. Awardees are chosen based on their production of high-quality products, excellent technical and cost performance, and adherence to schedules.

The Pegasus barge was built to replace NASA's aging Poseidon and Orion barges -- both built in the 1940s to serve in World War II and converted in the 1960s for NASA's Apollo program. In 2002 it became the sole means of transport for the shuttle external tanks. Today, it's the only barge of its kind in NASA's inventory. The long-serving Pegasus barge will begin transporting rocket components for NASA's next-generation Space Launch System (SLS) between manufacturing, testing and launch locations upon its completion. Conrad has lengthened the barge from 260 feet to 310 feet so it can handle Space Launch System hardware and components, which are dramatically larger than the older space shuttle propulsion systems. Conrad will perform maintenance and refurbishment to ensure the restored vessel meets American Bureau of Shipping standards.

Astronaut Capt.Stephen G. Bowenalong withStephen Doering, Director of Center operations at Marshall Space Flight Center,Teresa Vanhooser, Deputy Center Director, Marshall Space Flight Center,Michael Kynard, Deputy Director, Michoud Assembly Facility andMalcolm Wood, Deputy Chief Operating Officer, Michoud Assembly Facility visited Conrad to present the award. "The Pegasus barge will play a crucial role in our ability to get the hardware from the Marshall Space Center, or Stennis, or Michoud to Kennedy for the launch, so it's an absolutely critical role," said Doering.

Dan Conrad, Senior Vice President of Conrad Shipyard commented, "From our beginnings in 1948 building wooden Shrimp trawlers, to supporting our countries space exploration program is humbling. We must give appreciation to our valued workforce who have done a fantastic job of completing our scope on time, and most importantly, safely."

Conrad Industries, Inc., established in 1948 and headquartered inMorgan City, Louisiana, designs, builds and overhauls tugboats, ferries, liftboats, barges, offshore supply vessels and other steel and aluminum products for both the commercial and government markets. The company provides both repair and new construction services at its five shipyards located in southernLouisianaandTexas.

For Information Contact:Robert Sampey(985) 380-2142 RASampey@ConradIndustries.com

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Conrad Shipyard Receives NASA Space Flight Awareness Supplier Award for Pegasus Barge Conversion Project

First Model Rocket to Fly in Space Lands on Museum Display

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History records that 88 rockets launched to space in 1991. That count, it would seem, is off by one.

Granted, it was a really small rocket.

The world's first model rocket to soar into space did so on April 5, 1991. Standing just 7 inches tall (18 centimeters), the one-stage rocket lifted off, not by the thrust of a black powder engine, but rather on the space shuttle Atlantis. [Student Model Rocket Launches for NASA (Photos)]

Now, nearly a quarter of a century later, that model rocket has landed at The Museum of Flight in Seattle just in time for NARCON 2015, the National Association of Rocketry's annual convention. On Feb. 21, the man behind the rocket and the astronaut who flew it to space will be in Seattle for the meeting and to help dedicate an exhibit on the history of model rocketry.

"The convention's featured guest speaker will be astronaut Jay Apt, who carried a special Astron Scout model rocket belonging to Vern Estes into orbit on STS-37. That model and a host of other rocketry artifacts will form a permanent exhibit in the Charles Simonyi Space Gallery," wrote Pat Fitzpatrick, vice chairman of the Museum of Flight space flight committee, in an email to collectSPACE.

During the shuttle program, astronauts were able to fly a number of mementos for individuals and organizations that supported their mission. Apt, on the first of his four flights, chose the Estes Industries' Astron Scout for the role that model rocketry played in shaping his future.

"I got my first Estes [rocketry] catalog from a friend at my 13th birthday party in 1962," Apt recounted in an interview with collectSPACE. "My first kit was an Astron Mark, with the second a Scout. Estes Industries was a portal into the future."

"Whenever the red tubes containing motors or the boxes containing parts arrived, I was able to learn and practice the skills and sense of wonder that took me off this planet when I was an adult," Apt said.

In fact, Apt noted, all of his STS-37 crew mates had flown model rockets as teenagers.

"Rocketry played a critical role in stimulating our interest in engineering, science and exploration," he said.

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First Model Rocket to Fly in Space Lands on Museum Display

Intersil's Rad-Hard ICs Blast off on Orion's Flight Test

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NASAs new manned spacecraft for deep space flight enabled by Intersil technology

MILPITAS, CALIF. Intersil Corporation (NASDAQ: ISIL), a leading provider of innovative power management and precision analog solutions, today announced that 16 of its radiation-hardened ICs were onboard the Dec. 5, 2014 maiden voyage of NASAs Orion spacecraft, also known as the uncrewed Exploration Flight Test 1. The Orion spacecraft is designed to go where no man has gone before, including astronauts exploring and collecting asteroid samples from a future planned robotic mission to redirect an asteroid to orbit the moon, and the long sought after manned mission to Mars.

Intersils rad-hard ICs are deployed in Orions crew module, where they are used to support subsystems for mission critical applications in power distribution, navigation and flight control, and in the inertial measurement unit. A wide range of Intersil rad-hard solutions are used including voltage regulators, comparators, multiplexers, PWM controllers, MOSFET drivers, dual analog switches, quad differential receivers and microprocessor supervisory circuits.

Intersils innovative rad-hard ICs are playing a key role in NASAs next big step into deep space exploration, which is energizing a new generation of engineers, scientists and astronauts, said Philip Chesley, senior vice president of Precision Products at Intersil. The successful Orion test flight is a major achievement, and were proud to be a part of it.

Intersil's history and experience in the space and defense industries spans almost six decades, beginning with the founding of Radiation Inc. in 1950. Since then, virtually every satellite, shuttle launch and deep-space mission has included Intersil products. All Intersil SMD products are MIL-PRF-38535/QML compliant and are 100% burned in.

Intersils space flight IC capabilities include:

~300 space-qualified radiation-hardened products available Consistent design and manufacturing in Intersil's MIL-PRF-38535-qualified facility located in Palm Bay, Florida Intersil is one of only 15 RHA Defense Logistics Agency (Land and Maritime) QML suppliers All products are fully Class V (space level) compliant All products are on individual DLA SMD drawings

For additional information on Intersil's space, defense and hi-reliability solutions or on its low dose rate radiation testing facility, please visit: http://www.intersil.com/space/.

About Intersil Intersil Corporation is a leading provider of innovative power management and precision analog solutions. The company's products form the building blocks of increasingly intelligent, mobile and power hungry electronics, enabling advances in power management to improve efficiency and extend battery life. With a deep portfolio of intellectual property and a rich history of design and process innovation, Intersil is the trusted partner to leading companies in some of the worlds largest markets, including industrial and infrastructure, mobile computing, automotive and aerospace. For more information about Intersil, visit our website at http://www.intersil.com.

Company Contact: Mark Alden Intersil Corporation +1 (408) 546-3402 malden@intersil.com

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Intersil's Rad-Hard ICs Blast off on Orion's Flight Test

Test flight of tiny European space shuttle a success

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A European mini-space shuttle prototype launched into space Wednesday (Feb. 11) and then zoomed back to Earth in a daring test of innovative technologies for future reusable spacecraft.

The European Space Agency's car-sizeIntermediate eXperimental Vehicle(IXV) blasted off atop a Vega rocket from the European Spaceport in French Guiana at 8:40 a.m. EST (1340 GMT) Wednesday. The spacecraft was initially expected to launch at 8 a.m. EST, but a problem with telemetry delayed the liftoff within the one hour and 45 minute launch window. The craft came back to Earth about 100 minutes after launch, making a parachute-assisted splashdown in the middle of the Pacific Ocean at about10:20 a.m. (1520 GMT).A recovery ship is stationed near the splashdown zone and is on its way to collect the IXV, European Space Agency (ESA) officials said.

"It [the test flight] couldn't have been better, but the mission itself is not yet over," Jean-Jacques Dordain, director general of ESA, said through a translator after splashdown was confirmed. "Now it's going to be necessary to analyze all of the data that was collected throughout the flight." [Photos: Europe's IXV Reusable Space Plane Prototype]

The experimental vehicle is a wingless "lifting body" rather than a true space plane. It measures 16.4 feet long by 4.9 feet high by 7.2 feet wide (5 by 1.5 by 2.2 meters) and weighs almost 2 tons (1,814 kilograms) when fully fueled, ESA officials said.

During today's suborbital flight, the IXV was expected to reach a maximum altitude of about 261 miles (420 kilometers), then barrel back intoEarth's atmosphereat a speed of 16,800 mph (27,037 km/h). The vehicle was also designed to use an advanced infrared camera and more than 300 other sensors to assess how its thermal protection, guidance and other key systems perform during re-entry.

ESA considers IXV an important step along the path to mastering autonomous, controlled re-entry technology.

"Such a capability is essential for developing a wide range of space transportation applications, including space planes, reusable launcher stages, planetary probes and sample return, cargo and crew transport vehicles," ESA officials wrote in anIXV mission FAQ. "Mastery of re-entry technology could also be useful in innovative future missions for Earth observation, microgravity experimentation, high-altitude atmospheric research and servicing and disposing of future-generation satellites."

IXV is considered "intermediate" because it follows the 1998 flight of the Atmospheric Reentry Demonstrator (ARD) capsule and precedes an envisioned space plane project called PRIDE (Program for Reusable In-orbit Demonstrator for Europe).

The "PRIDE space plane will be similar to, but smaller and cheaper than, the U.S.s X-37B but, unlike the X-37B, would be managed under civil auspices," ESA officials wrote. (The roboticX-37B space plane, which has flown three space missions to date, is operated by the United States Air Force.)

"It would be launched by Europes Vega light rocket, orbit robotically, operate in orbit and land automatically on ground in a runway," they added. "The mission will focus on system and technology performance verification under all flight conditions hypersonic, supersonic, transonic and subsonic."

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Test flight of tiny European space shuttle a success

SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft splashes down after trip to ISS

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Commercial space flight took another step forward Tuesday (10.02.2015) as the SpaceX Dragon freighter safely returned to earth from the International Space Station (ISS).

The unmanned craft left the ISS at 2:10 p.m. EST (19:10 GMT) and splash-landed into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Baja California just over five hours later. The vehicle was carrying nearly 1,700 kilograms (almost 2 tons) of cargo - including scientific materials, research equipment, 3D printed parts and even a faulty spacesuit. There were no astronauts on board.

The smooth landing was another victory for United States-based commercial space flight company SpaceX and its CEO Elon Musk, who also heads electric car company Tesla Motors. It was the fifth successful roundtrip mission to the ISS performed by the company for NASA.

Landings becoming routine

Currently, the Dragon craft is the only space cargo vessel in the world that is capable of making the return trip back to earth. For scientists and researchers with experiments returning from the ISS onboard, the safe landing was a relief.

The pioneering work of SpaceX appears to be making commercial space travel with private companies viable. Space travel experts in Germany say they only pay passing attention to successful launches and landings now.

"It's becoming more routine for us," said Johannes Weppler, a scientist at the German Aerospace Center (DLR). "We notice it and are happy when things are successful - but it's not that we are anticipating these things," he told DW.

Weppler praised SpaceX, adding that he has high confidence in the quality of the company's work. "They have put on a program that is very impressive and has a lot of potential for the future," Weppler said.

Still a risky buisness

But Weppler acknowledged that there are still risks involved with each launch and landings performed by private space companies. Yesterday's successful mission by SpaceX comes just three months after a spectacular failure by another private US space company, Orbital Sciences.

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SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft splashes down after trip to ISS

Europe's mini-space shuttle splashes down

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Europe's prototype space plane has splashed down in the Pacific on schedule after a 100-minute flight to test key re-entry technologies.

"The mission has come to an end according to plan... it couldn't have been better," European Space Agencychief Jean-Jacques Dordain said in a live webcast.

The car-sized craft tests new technologies and systems that it is hoped will enable Europe to build a space vehicle that can re-enter Earth's atmosphere.

Ireland has part funded the mission, while staff at the Dublin office of engineering firm Curtiss-Wright have built the systems to gather, store and transmit the data generated by 300 sensors on board.

Europe has the technology to send spacecraft into space, but not to bring them back to Earth.

The lack of such knowledge has left European space agencies dependent on other nations for astronaut transport and held back Europe's ambitions to return samples from asteroids or other planets.

Thenew space vehicle, the IXV, was launched to test new systems and technologies for atmospheric re-entry, the most difficult and risky part of any return space flight.

Watch an interactive video about IXVhere.

The unmanned space planeblasted off from French Guiana and will travel 420km into space, before re-entering the Earth's atmosphere at 27,000km per hour and splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.

The IXV's new aerodynamic shape, navigation and guidance controls, and thermal protection panels were all be put through their paces.

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Europe's mini-space shuttle splashes down

Anti-geyser testing completed for SLS liquid oxygen tank

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10 hours ago by Kimberly Henry NASA and Boeing engineers conduct anti-geyser testing and monitor data from those tests in a control room at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Credit:NASA/MSFC

Goodbye, geysers! NASA engineers have successfully finished anti-geyser testing for the liquid oxygen tank that will help fuel the agency's new rocket, the Space Launch System, on the journey to Mars.

More than 120 hours of anti-geyser testing have been completed on a full-scale, 40-foot replica of the SLS liquid oxygen tank feed systemwhich will be housed in the rocket's core stageat one of the test stands at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The core stage, towering more than 200 feet tall with a diameter of 27.5 feet, will store cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen that will feed the vehicle's RS-25 engines.

"Geysering occurs when heat enters the liquid oxygen feed system, causing the liquid to boil and form large oxygen gas bubbles that rapidly expel," said Chad Bryant, propulsion manager in the Stages Office at Marshall, where the SLS Program is managed for the agency. "This rapid expulsion of boiling liquid can momentarily displace large volumes of heavy liquid that crash back down, causing a damaging hammer effect on the system.

"One of the largest risks with a liquid oxygen feed system of this scale is the potential of creating a geyserthat's why this kind of testing is so important," he added. "This gives us the confidence that the operations we have in place for propellant loading, conditioning and draining will successfully suppress geysers in the system during flight vehicle operations."

Those operations include using helium. The system is filled and thermally conditioned by pumping liquid oxygen up the engine feed lines and into the tank, allowing heat to escape up and out the top of the tank vent. As liquid level rises in the tank, helium is injected into the feed lines, introducing fluid circulation throughout the liquid oxygen system. This circulation is the key to maintaining uniform fluid temperature and eliminating localized propellant heating. "We've used enough liquid oxygen on the test article to fill the SLS oxygen tank eight timesit's very thorough testing," Bryant said.

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Data from the test series will be used in the development and demonstration of the liquid oxygen procedures for SLS core stage green run operations at NASA's Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, and the first flight of the rocket from the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Green run testing of the SLS core stage is the first time the RS-25 engines are assembled into a single configuration with the core stage and fired at nearly full power.

"Anti-geyser testing really provided valuable insights into system-specific behaviors and data for model validation," said Jacob Parton, anti-geyser test conductor. "Building the test article had its challenges, but testing went quite well. The NASA and Boeing teams did a fantastic job."

The Boeing Company of St. Louis is the prime contractor for the SLS core stage, including its avionics. The test series began in August and wrapped up in late January.

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Anti-geyser testing completed for SLS liquid oxygen tank

X-37B OTV Team Wins 2015 Space Achievement Award

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The Space Foundation has selected the U.S. Air Force-Boeing X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) Team to receive one of its top honors, the 2015 Space Achievement Award. The award will be presented on April 13 during the opening ceremony of the 31stth Space Symposium at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo., USA, co-sponsored by Northrop Grumman.

"The 2015 Space Achievement Award is presented to the U.S. Air Force-Boeing X-37B team, for significantly advancing the state of the art for reusable spacecraft and on-orbit operations, with the design, development, test and orbital operation of the X-37B space flight vehicle over three missions totaling 1,367 days in space," said Space Foundation Chief Executive Officer Elliot Pulham.

The Space Achievement Award recognizes individuals or organizations for breakthrough space technology or critical milestones in the evolution of space exploration and development.

Recent recipientshave included: 2014 U.S. Air Force GPS Team 2013 NOAA 2012 Junichiro Kawaguchi, Ph.D., JAXA 2011 SpaceX and Telecom sans Frontieres 2010 Hubble Space Telescope Repair Mission Team 2009 China's Shenzhou 7 Manned Space Flight Team 2008 United States Air Force 2007 Bigelow Aerospace

About the X37B ProgramThe X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle is an unmanned space vehicle that is being used by the United States Air Force to explore reusable space vehicle technologies in support of long-term space objectives. Objectives of the X-37B program include space experimentation, risk reduction, and concept of operations development. Boeing's involvement in the program dates back to 1999.

About the Space Symposium The Space Symposium is the annual gathering of all sectors of the global space community, to be held April 13 - 16 at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. Visitwww.SpaceSymposium.orgfor secure online registration and complete conference information. A discount on standard industry registration is currently available if paid by March 20, 2015.

Active Military/Government Rate The Space Foundation offers reduced pricing for active military and government registrants. The rate includes admission to Symposium general sessions, exhibits, receptions, plus one ticket to each Symposium dinner and one ticket to a Symposium luncheon, such as the Space Warfighters Luncheon on April 14. This special rate does not apply to contractors who work for or with the government or military.

Co-Sponsorsa.i. solutions;Aerojet Rocketdyne;Airbus Group;Arianespace, Inc.;Artel LLC;Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.;Colorado Space Coalition;El Pomar Foundation;Inmarsat;Intelsat General Corporation;Lockheed Martin Corporation;Northrop Grumman;Orbital;Raytheon;Scitor;Space Generation Advisory Council;Spincraft;SSL;Stellar Solutions;United Launch Alliance(ULA).Aviation Week,SatnewsandSpaceNewsare media partners.

About the Space Foundation Founded in 1983, the Space Foundation is the foremost advocate for all sectors of space, and is a global, nonprofit leader in space awareness activities, educational programs and major industry events, including the annualSpace Symposium, in support of its mission "to advance space-related endeavors to inspire, enable and propel humanity." Space Foundation World Headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo., USA, has a publicDiscovery Center, includingEl Pomar Space Gallery,Northrop Grumman Science Center featuring Science On a Sphere and the Lockheed Martin Space Education Center.The Space Foundation has a field office in Houston, and conducts government affairs from its Washington, D.C., office.It annually publishesThe Space Report: The Authoritative Guide to Global Space Activity,andthrough itsSpace CertificationandSpace Technology Hall of Fame programs,recognizes space-basedinnovations that have been adapted to improve life on Earth. Visitwww.SpaceFoundation.org, follow us onFacebook,Instagram,LinkedIn,Pinterest,TwitterandYouTube,and read our e-newsletterSpace Watch.

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X-37B OTV Team Wins 2015 Space Achievement Award

Number of Known Accessible Near-Earth Asteroids Doubles Since 2010

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NASA performed the first Near-Earth Object Human Space Flight Accessible Targets Study (NHATS) in September/October of 2010, and 666 of the known near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) were identified as meeting the NHATS criteria for mission accessibility (classifying those NEAs as "NHATS-compliant"). These are asteroids in near-Earth orbits that are more dynamically accessible (requiring less time and energy to visit) than round-trip spacecraft missions to Mars.

At that time, just over 7,000 NEAs had been discovered, while today we know of over 12,000 NEAs, an increase of 70%. The percentage increase in the number of accessible asteroids in the catalog has been even greater: On January 18, 2015 - a little over four years since the NHATS assessments began - the 1332nd NHATS-compliant asteroid was identified, doubling the number of known accessible NEAs.

The sizes of these asteroids range from as small as a few meters to as large as a few kilometers. While all these asteroids are more dynamically accessible than a round-trip mission to Mars, many of them (hundreds) require less energy to visit (round-trip) than does the lunar surface, and dozens of them require less energy to visit than does a low orbit around the Moon.

NASA uses the automated NHATS system to monitor the NEA population for mission accessibility. This monitoring assists the identification of attractive destinations for future robotic and crewed missions.

Brent Barbee (GSFC) developed the process that automatically downloads orbital information on newly discovered NEAs from the JPL Small Bodies Database (SBDB) on a daily basis. He then performs trajectory calculations using the method of patched conics for the spacecraft and with full precision ephemerides for the Earth and NEOs obtained from JPL's Horizons system to determine which among them may meet the NHATS accessibility constraints.

The results of this daily analysis are then immediately uploaded to the NHATS table. A process generated by Paul Chodas (JPL) then provides, for each NHATS-compliant NEA, the details of future observation opportunities that might allow the NEA orbit to be improved with follow-up optical astrometric data.

Some of these observing opportunities would also allow the NEA's physical nature to be characterized using photometric and spectroscopic observations.

In cases where there are future close Earth approaches, radar astrometric and physical characterization observations may be possible; these opportunities are listed as well. Working closely with Brent Barbee and Paul Chodas, Alan Chamberlin (JPL) was largely responsible for creating this Accessible NEAs website.

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Number of Known Accessible Near-Earth Asteroids Doubles Since 2010

NOAA space weather satellite to provide solar storm warning

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The Deep Space Climate Observatory, or DSCOVR, satellite will serve as an early warning beacon for impending solar storms while providing dramatic views of the Earth from its perch nearly 1 million miles toward the sun. NASA

Last Updated Feb 9, 2015 8:37 AM EST

Launch of a satellite dreamed up 17 years ago by Al Gore to provide continuous views of Earth via the internet and now repurposed to serve as a space weather station will have to wait at least until Tuesday to get into space, after problems with an Air Force radar derailed a launch attempt Sunday.

Perched atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, the Deep Space Climate Observatory, or DSCOVR, spacecraft had been scheduled for liftoff from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 6:10 p.m. EST Sunday. But just two minutes and 27 seconds before liftoff, the countdown was aborted when engineers were unable to fix the radar problem in time.

SpaceX also had problems with a video transmitter on the first stage of the Falcon 9, but that gear was not required for launch. In any case, the scrub was a disappointment for the launch team and, presumably, to Gore, who was on hand for the flight.

SpaceX has now rescheduled the launch for 6:05 p.m. Tuesday, assuming the technical issues can be resolved in time and the weather cooperates. Weather was not favorable to try for a launch on Monday.

The 1,256-pound solar-powered DSCOVR satellite is bound for a point 930,000 miles toward the sun where the gravity of Earth and its star are in a sort of balance, allowing spacecraft to remain on station with minimal use of maneuvering fuel. Because of the deep space trajectory, the mission does not have the luxury of a launch window and must take off on time.

The primary goal of the repurposed $340 million DSCOVR mission is to replace an aging NASA satellite, providing space weather data to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

"DSCOVR will provide the observations necessary to help us deliver warnings and alerts to industries affected by space weather so they can take action to protect infrastructure and be more resilient in the face of severe events," said Tom Berger, director of NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colorado.

Assuming a problem-free launch, it will take DSCOVR about three-and-a-half months to reach L1. NASA then will spent about 40 days testing and checking out the satellite's instruments and subsystems before turning the spacecraft over to NOAA this summer for routine operations.

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NOAA space weather satellite to provide solar storm warning

Space Shuttle – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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This article is about the NASA Space Transportation System vehicle. For the associated program, see Space Shuttle program. For other shuttles and aerospace vehicles, see Spaceplane. Space Shuttle Discovery lifts off at the start of STS-120. Function Crewed orbital launch and reentry Manufacturer United Space Alliance Thiokol/Alliant Techsystems (SRBs) Lockheed Martin/Martin Marietta (ET) Boeing/Rockwell (orbiter) Country of origin United States of America Size Height 56.1 m (184.2 ft) Diameter 8.7 m (28.5 ft) Mass 2,030 t (4,470,000 lbm) Stages 2 Capacity Payload to LEO 24,400 kg (53,600 lb) Payload to GTO 3,810 kg (8,390 lb) Payload to Polar orbit 12,700 kg (28,000 lb) Payload to Landing 14,400 kg (32,000 lb[1]) Launch history Status Retired Launch sites LC-39, Kennedy Space Center SLC-6, Vandenberg AFB (unused) Total launches 135 Successes 133 launches and landings Failures 2 Challenger (launch failure), Columbia (re-entry failure) First flight April 12, 1981 Last flight July 21, 2011 Notable payloads Tracking and Data Relay Satellites Spacelab Hubble Space Telescope Galileo, Magellan, Ulysses Mir Docking Module ISS components Boosters (Stage 0) - Solid Rocket Boosters No. boosters 2 Engines 2 solid Thrust 12.5 MN each, sea level liftoff (2,800,000 lbf) Specific impulse 269 seconds (2.64km/s) Burn time 124 s Fuel Solid (Ammonium perchlorate composite propellant) First stage - Orbiter plus External Tank Engines 3 SSMEs located on Orbiter Thrust 5.25MN (1,180,000lbf) total, sea level liftoff [2] Specific impulse 455 seconds (4.46km/s) Burn time 480 s Fuel LOX/LH2

The Space Shuttle was a partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Its official program name was Space Transportation System, taken from a 1969 plan for a system of reusable spacecraft of which it was the only item funded for development.[3] The first of four orbital test flights occurred in 1981, leading to operational flights beginning in 1982. They were used on a total of 135 missions from 1981 to 2011, launched from the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. Operational missions launched numerous satellites, interplanetary probes, and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST); conducted science experiments in orbit; and participated in construction and servicing of the International Space Station. The Shuttle fleet totaled 1322 days, 19 hours, 21 minutes and 23 seconds during missions.[4]

Shuttle components included the Orbiter Vehicle (OV), a pair of recoverable solid rocket boosters (SRBs), and the expendable external tank (ET) containing liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. The Shuttle was launched vertically, like a conventional rocket, with the two SRBs operating in parallel with the OV's three main engines, which were fueled from the ET. The SRBs were jettisoned before the vehicle reached orbit, and the ET was jettisoned just before orbit insertion, which used the orbiter's two Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) engines. At the conclusion of the mission, the orbiter fired its OMS to de-orbit and re-enter the atmosphere. The orbiter glided to a runway landing on Rogers Dry Lake at Edwards Air Force Base in California or at the Shuttle Landing Facility at the KSC. After the landings at Edwards, the orbiter was flown back to KSC on the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a specially modified Boeing 747.

The first orbiter, Enterprise, was built for Approach and Landing Tests and had no orbital capability. Four fully operational orbiters were initially built: Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, and Atlantis. Of these, Challenger and Columbia were destroyed in mission accidents in 1986 and 2003 respectively, in which a total of fourteen astronauts were killed. A fifth operational orbiter, Endeavour, was built in 1991 to replace Challenger. The Space Shuttle was retired from service upon the conclusion of Atlantis's final flight on July 21, 2011.

The Space Shuttle was a partially reusable[5]human spaceflight vehicle capable of reaching low Earth orbit, commissioned and operated by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) from 1981 to 2011. It resulted from shuttle design studies conducted by NASA and the US Air Force in the 1960s and was first proposed for development as part of an ambitious second-generation Space Transportation System (STS) of space vehicles to follow the Apollo program in a September 1969 report of a Space Task Group headed by Vice President Spiro Agnew to President Richard Nixon. Post-Apollo NASA budgeting realities impelled Nixon to withhold support of all system components except the Shuttle, to which NASA applied the STS name.[3]

The vehicle consisted of a spaceplane for orbit and re-entry, fueled by expendable liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen tanks, with reusable strap-on solid booster rockets. The first of four orbital test flights occurred in 1981, leading to operational flights beginning in 1982, all launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The system was retired from service in 2011 after 135 missions,[6] with Atlantis making the final launch of the three-decade Shuttle program on July 8, 2011.[7] The program ended after Atlantis landed at the Kennedy Space Center on July 21, 2011. Major missions included launching numerous satellites and interplanetary probes,[8] conducting space science experiments, and servicing and construction of space stations. The first orbiter vehicle, named Enterprise, was built for the initial Approach and Landing Tests phase and lacked engines, heat shielding, and other equipment necessary for orbital flight.[9] A total of five operational orbiters were built, and of these, two were destroyed in accidents.

It was used for orbital space missions by NASA, the US Department of Defense, the European Space Agency, Japan, and Germany.[10][11] The United States funded Shuttle development and operations except for the Spacelab modules used on D1 and D2sponsored by Germany.[10][12][13][14][15]SL-J was partially funded by Japan.[11]

At launch, it consisted of the "stack", including the dark orange external tank (ET);[16][17] two white, slender solid rocket boosters (SRBs); and the Orbiter Vehicle, which contained the crew and payload. Some payloads were launched into higher orbits with either of two different upper stages developed for the STS (single-stage Payload Assist Module or two-stage Inertial Upper Stage). The Space Shuttle was stacked in the Vehicle Assembly Building, and the stack mounted on a mobile launch platform held down by four frangible nuts[18] on each SRB, which were detonated at launch.[19]

The Shuttle stack launched vertically like a conventional rocket. It lifted off under the power of its two SRBs and three main engines, which were fueled by liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen from the ET. The Space Shuttle had a two-stage ascent. The SRBs provided additional thrust during liftoff and first-stage flight. About two minutes after liftoff, frangible nuts were fired, releasing the SRBs, which then parachuted into the ocean, to be retrieved by ships for refurbishment and reuse. The orbiter and ET continued to ascend on an increasingly horizontal flight path under power from its main engines. Upon reaching 17,500mph (7.8km/s), necessary for low Earth orbit, the main engines were shut down. The ET, attached by two frangible nuts[20] was then jettisoned to burn up in the atmosphere.[21] After jettisoning the external tank, the orbital maneuvering system (OMS) engines were used to adjust the orbit. The orbiter carried astronauts and payloads such as satellites or space station parts into low Earth orbit, the Earth's upper atmosphere or thermosphere.[22] Usually, five to seven crew members rode in the orbiter. Two crew members, the commander and pilot, were sufficient for a minimal flight, as in the first four "test" flights, STS-1 through STS-4. The typical payload capacity was about 50,045 pounds (22,700kg) but could be increased depending on the choice of launch configuration. The orbiter carried its payload in a large cargo bay with doors that opened along the length of its top, a feature which made the Space Shuttle unique among spacecraft. This feature made possible the deployment of large satellites such as the Hubble Space Telescope and also the capture and return of large payloads back to Earth.

When the orbiter's space mission was complete, it fired its OMS thrusters to drop out of orbit and re-enter the lower atmosphere.[22] During descent, the orbiter passed through different layers of the atmosphere and decelerated from hypersonic speed primarily by aerobraking. In the lower atmosphere and landing phase, it was more like a glider but with reaction control system (RCS) thrusters and fly-by-wire-controlled hydraulically actuated flight surfaces controlling its descent. It landed on a long runway as a spaceplane. The aerodynamic shape was a compromise between the demands of radically different speeds and air pressures during re-entry, hypersonic flight, and subsonic atmospheric flight. As a result, the orbiter had a relatively high sink rate at low altitudes, and it transitioned during re-entry from using RCS thrusters at very high altitudes to flight surfaces in the lower atmosphere.

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Space Shuttle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

SpaceX set to launch space weather satellite

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The Deep Space Climate Observatory, or DSCOVR, satellite will serve as an early warning beacon for impending solar storms while providing dramatic views of the Earth from its perch nearly 1 million miles toward the sun. NASA

A satellite dreamed up 17 years ago by Al Gore to provide continuous views of Earth via the internet is set for launch Sunday on a revised, more scientifically -- and politically -- viable mission. The satellite is intended to serve as a space-based "tsunami buoy" to provide early warning of potentially dangerous solar storms.

The Deep Space Climate Observatory, or DSCOVR, will still provide dramatic whole Earth views from its orbital perch nearly 1 million miles toward the sun. But the primary goal of the repurposed $340 million mission is to replace an aging NASA satellite, providing space weather data to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

"DSCOVR will provide the observations necessary to help us deliver warnings and alerts to industries affected by space weather so they can take action to protect infrastructure and be more resilient in the face of severe events," said Tom Berger, director of NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colorado.

Perched atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, DSCOVR is scheduled for liftoff from pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force station at 6:10 p.m. EST (GMT-5). The 1,256-pound solar-powered satellite is bound for a point 930,000 miles toward the sun where the gravity of Earth and its star are in a sort of balance, allowing spacecraft to remain on station with minimal use of maneuvering fuel.

To reach the so-called Lagrange 1, or L1, point, the Falcon 9 must take off on time or the flight will be delayed a day. Forecasters predicted a 90 percent chance of good weather Sunday, dropping to 70 percent "go" on Monday.

Assuming a problem-free launch, it will take DSCOVR about three-and-a-half months to reach L1. NASA then will spent about 40 days testing and checking out the satellite's instruments and subsystems before turning the spacecraft over to NOAA this summer for routine operations.

While launching DSCOVR is the primary goal of the mission, SpaceX once again will attempt to guide the rocket's first stage to a powered landing on a barge stationed some 370 miles east-northeast of Jacksonville, Fla. SpaceX founder and chief designer Elon Musk hopes to eventually be able to recover, refurbish and relaunch rocket stages to lower the cost of access to space.

During a landing attempt in January, a Falcon 9 first stage made it back to the landing barge but ran out of hydraulic fluid needed to operate stabilizing fins during the descent to Earth. The booster crashed onto the deck at an angle and exploded.

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SpaceX set to launch space weather satellite


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