SSI News
China’s already extended Chang’e 2 lunar and L2 mission now makes asteroid flyby
The Chinese Chang’e 2 spacecraft has been used in a follow-up mission to take close up images of the near Earth object asteroid, Toutalis (4179) at an altitude of only 3.2km. The flyby took place at 0830 GMT. Chang’E 2 was originally launched on 1 October 2010 and was used to make close up images of the lunar surface, have entered lunar orbit five days later.
Kwangmyongsong 3-2 is in orbit but is “tumbling” and not transmitting
Following the successful launch of North Korea’s Taipodong-3 (Uhna-3) three-stage rocket which successfully orbited North Korea’s first confirmed satellite into a near polar, Sun-synchronous orbit on 12 December, experts now believe that the payload, the Kwangmyongsong 3-2 spacecraft, may not be operating. No spacecraft transmissions have been received to date by independent monitors, while the satellite has been imaged visually and via tracking radars as “tumbling” in orbit. At circa 100kg, the Kwangmyonsong 3-2 was notionally to have been used for Earth observation.
On a lighter note: Whether you have joystick trouble or altitude sickness…Viagra is the answer says MOD
While experienced pilots and even astronauts have been found to be susceptible to altitude sickness and low blood pressure, there could be a cure via the unlikely drug Viagra. Or so the UK Ministry of Defence apparently claims as a riposte to a press story.
Musk plans a stock offering for SpaceX after successful IPOs in his other firms
Elon Musk, the billionaire Internet, clean energy and rocket entrepreneur who made his initial fortunes in the internet business, most noticeably via his interest in the sale of the Paypal business, has just added to his wealth via the public sale of the solar generation leasing firm, Solar City, in which he had a shareholding.
Atlas V and Taepodong-3 launch well…just three more launches to go this year
After the successful flights of an Atlas V 501 carrying the US Air Force X-37B/OTV 1 (FLIGHT 2) minispaceplane and of the Taipodong-3 (Uhna-3) carrying the North Korea’s Kwangmyongsong 3-2 spacecraft there are just three launches left.
GPS IIIF-3 Delta IV launch anomaly traced to fuel leak
While the GPS IIIF-3 satellite was launched successfully on 4 October, later analysis showed that an unexpected data signature was observed with the upper stage engine during a portion of the flight including a reduced thrust level on the RL10 engine. The onboard flight control systems compensated for the lower thrust levels allowing the satellite to achieve orbit. An investigation has found that the fuel leak was within the RL10 thrust chamber. The leak apparently began during the first engine start sequence of the launch.
ISS Reshetnev gets GEO-IK-2 construction deal for third satellite
On 8 December, it was announced that the Russian Ministry of Defence has contracted with the spacecraft construction firm ISS-Reshetnev to build the third in the series of GEO-IK 2 geodesy satellites. According to the Flightglobal SpaceTrak database, so far only one GEO-IK 2 spacecraft has been launched COSMOS 2470. That military satellite was launched into an incorrect orbit on 1 February 2010. The satellite was discarded originally, but later used for engineering tests. The cause of the Rockot/Breeze KM launch failure was later found to have been the upper stage being fired in the incorrect direction due to a control issue.
Proton launch upper stage fails yet again as it strands Yamal 402 comsat for a time (Updated)
After what appeared to be a nominal launch at 1314 GMT on 8 December from its Baikonur launch site near Tyuratam in Kazakhstan, the latest Proton rocket launch has ended in partial failure after its Breeze M (Briz M) upper stage.stranded its Yamal 402 communications satellite payload in an incorrect transfer orbit.
On a sadder note: Heavens-watcher Sir Patrick Moore passes away
Noted astronomer and The Sky at Night television presenter Sir Patrick Moore, has passed away at the age of 89. Born in 1923, Moore suffered a childhood of ill-health. Nevertheless, during this period Moore gained his interest in astronomy and was accepted into the British Astronomical Association at the age of 11 – the youngest member to have been accepted. Moore was planning to go to Cambridge University when World War II intervened and Moore became an RAF navigator whose role was sometimes to navigate by the stars. However, before he could use this skill he was declared unfit for flying and returned to a training role. There is evidence that Sir Patrick also served in British Intelligence on active duty during the war, although this has never been officially confirmed. He remained in the RAF until 1952.
Opinion: Super-competitive SpaceX might soon have to turn business away if it does not get its flight rate up
There were yet more launch contract “wins” for SpaceX as it secured two launch orders for the US Air Force, the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) in 2014 and the Space Test Program-2 (STP-2) in 2015, under a US Air Force Orbital/Suborbital Program-3 (OSP-3) contract. The contracts are the first steps in breaking the ULA (United Launch Alliance) strangle hold on US government launch contracts.
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