Bob and Doug’s Excellent Adventure

After a scrubbed Wednesday launch attempt, Crew Dragon Demonstration Mission Two (DM-2) lanced skyward Saturday, 30 May 2020. The mission marked the return of crewed spaceflight to Florida’s Space Coast, which hasn’t sent astronauts up since STS-135 in July 2011.

Despite a convective SIGMET issued for a few nearby thunderstorms threatening to derail plans yet again, the pad and abort location weather remained stable at the T minus 7 minute mark, allowing the engines to enter cryochill. Conditions managed to stay steady at Cape Canaveral, and shortly after 1922 UT, the Merlin 1D engines ignited, sending the Falcon 9 into the air above Launch Complex 39A, and past the abort sites in the Atlantic.

Smooth sailing continued as the Falcon first stage was recovered on droneship “Of Course I Still Love You” deep in the Atlantic; once the second stage had delivered Crew Dragon to its parking orbit, it was on its own to for the next 19 hours to the ISS. The mission has only just begun!

SpaceX Starship SN4 goes to fiery grave

The last moments of Starship SN4 at Boca Chica, 29 May 2020, 1849 UT (SPadre)

A planned test of Starship SN4’s single Raptor engine was completed at 1848 UT today at Boca Chica.

Shortly after the one-minute burn, at 1849 UT, opaque white clouds emerged from leaks along the side and bottom of SN4. At least one of the leaks contained methane fuel; the cloud was ignited, setting off an explosion that damaged the test stand and blew away the prototype.

By 1850 UT it was clear that SN4 was a total loss.

Soyuz launch this week

Soyuz launched early Friday with a Russian military payload, Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne demonstrated its performance profile Monday in unscheduled water landings, and Florida thunderstorms prevented the launch of Crew Dragon DM-2 on Wednesday.

A Soyuz-2.1b takes off from Plesetsk, 22 May 2020 0731 UT (Roscosmos)

Orbital News
22 May 2020 0731 UT – Plesetsk Soyuz-2.1b EKS-4 RU MilEOS
25 May 2020 1950 UT – Mojave N744VG LauncherOne Demo (failed)
25 May 2020 1213 UT – Kounotori 9 arrives at ISS
27 May 2020 [2033 UT] – Delay of Canaveral F9 Crew Dragon DM-2

Regional News
24 May 2020 – Boeing lays off 400 in Winnipeg
24 May 2020 – Snowbirds welcomed back to Moose Jaw
25 May 2020 – Manitoba doctors highlight Lyme Disease heart risks
25 May 2020 – Minnesota Space Grant features Augsburg U Aerospace Club
26 May 2020 – Canadian Armed Forces creates new Space Specialist skill badge
26 May 2020 – Picturesque results from U Wisconsin Madison science photo contest
26 May 2020 – Porter Airlines stays grounded through 29 July
27 May 2020 – Minnesota Space Grant features Breanna Keith (Bemidji SU)
27 May 2020 – SciGirls show from Twin Cities PBS nominated for award
28 May 2020 – Kenora’s Sean ‘Stroker’ Gustafson trains fighter pilots
28 May 2020 – Minnesota Space Grant features Akshay Naik (U Minnesota – Twin Cities)
28 May 2020 – Minnesota Space Grant features U Minnesota Duluth rocket team
28 May 2020 – WestJet cheer patrol makes rounds

Further News
18 May 2020 – Perseverance rocket arrives at Canaveral
22 May 2020 – Mitsubishi Aircraft cuts jobs, slows SpaceJet
24 May 2020 – CZ-5 rocket at Wenchang for Tianwen-1 Mars mission
24 May 2020 – Fire at Airbus A220 factory in Belfast
24 May 2020 – NSF feature on rocket launch weather rules
25 May 2020 – EKS-4 launch dumps hardware over Australia
27 May 2020 – Bankrupt OneWeb asks for 48000 satellite slots
27 May 2020 – Boeing restarts 737 line, cuts 12000 jobs
28 May 2020 – China to fly civilian astronauts to planned space station
28 May 2020 – Despite warnings 150 k went to scrubbed launch of DM-2
28 May 2020 – SpaceX tests SN4 engine at Boca Chica

COVID-19 matters
22 May 2020 – Environmental Engineer James Schauer (U Wisconsin) assists WI COVID tests
22 May 2020 – Rezplast in Sudbury makes plexiglas barriers for cars and counters
23 May 2020 – North Dakota Governor pleads for tolerance of mask wearers
24 May 2020 – Medical discrimination against SK patients from outbreak zone
25 May 2020 – U Manitoba fab lab makes faceshields
26 May 2020 – North Dakota to reopen state offices 1 June
26 May 2020 – Winnipeg study shows COVID spreads for about eight days after symptoms
27 May 2020 – Worker at South Dakota Jack Link’s plant dies of COVID
27 May 2020 – Edmonton among cities considered for NHL playoff ‘hub’
27 May 2020 – Manitoba close to full containment of COVID
28 May 2020 – Alberta doctors concerned with provincial PPE plan

Atlas V and H-IIB fly this week

Orbital News
17 May 2020 1314 – Atlas V X-37B US Military
20 May 2020 1731 – Tanegashima H-IIB Kounotori-9 ISS Cargo

Regional News
15 May 2020 – Airdrie AB students contact ISS by ham radio
15 May 2020 – None hurt in plane crash 75km from Fort Frances
15 May 2020 – MB seeks businesses to deploy Internet to the North
16 May 2020 – Air Canada lays off 20000, over half the workforce
16 May 2020 – National Microbiology Lab chief takes UK job, cites family
17 May 2020 – Safe pilot, bent wing in Bloodvein MB mishap
18 May 2020 – Medicine Hat air ambulance pleads for funds
18 May 2020 – Wildfires near Dauphin MB
19 May 2020 – Delta will fill planes to 60% for social distance
19 May 2020 – York Space Systems opens new facility in Denver
20 May 2020 – SK wildfire grows to 375 km2
21 May 2020 – Iowa SU features NASA work of Sara Mayne
21 May 2020 – MN astronaut Karen Nyberg talks with Ars Technica
21 May 2020 – U Wisconsin develops nanostructured PVDF spacecraft shield

Further news
15 May 2020 – Artemis Accords would enshrine Space Law concepts in a Treaty
15 May 2020 – China adds satellite internet to space infrastructure priorities
15 May 2020 – NASA Stennis partial reopen
15 May 2020 – Tokyo2021 loses another event – meteor shower satellite fails in orbit
17 May 2020 – Bill Norrie of Calgary sailed across the Pacific
17 May 2020 – Snowbird dead, another injured in Kamloops BC crash
18 May 2020 – NASA Michoud partial reopen
19 May 2020 – Annie Glenn dies in Minnesota, age 100
19 May 2020 – Head rolls at NASA after Artemis procurement probe
20 May 2020 – Skyrora completes Skylark-L rocket engine test
20 May 2020 – WFIRST now called the Roman Space Telescope
21 May 2020 – NASA takes extra time for DM-2 Flight Readiness Review
21 May 2020 – NSF feature on Crew Dragon abort modes

COVID-19 matters
15 May 2020 – COVID patients that need ventilators have 50 to 75% survival rate
15 May 2020 – FDA notice issued on inaccurate Abbott COVID test
15 May 2020 – SaskTel retirees fix donated computers to help keep communities connected
15 May 2020 – SK closes 12 rural ERs on two days’ notice
15 May 2020 – Sudbury library opens phone line for folks that want to chat about books
15 May 2020 – The Forks Market reopens in Winnipeg
15 May 2020 – U Alberta will conduct fall semester online
16 May 2020 – COVID causes blood clots in serious cases
17 May 2020 – Fire contained at Winnipeg hospital
18 May 2020 – Fuse33 Makerspace in Calgary fabs 12000 faceshields
19 May 2020 – Canada-US border closure extended to 21 June 2020
19 May 2020 – Civic honour planned for SD food workers
19 May 2020 – U Wisconsin creates COVID Crush video game
21 May 2020 – 2020 Grey Cup in Regina cancelled due to COVID
21 May 2020 – Privacy problem with ND/SD Care19 phone app
21 May 2020 – Rigid US medical supply chain ignored new test labs

Late News
13 May 2020 – JournoDrone shot down in Butterfield MN

KZ-1A orbits two tech testbeds this week

A KZ-1A rocket carries two Xingyun-2 satellites to SSO from Jiuquan, 12 May 2020, 0116 UT. (Weibo)

Orbital news
08 May 2020 0549 UT – CNSA next-generation crew capsule lands after deorbit
08 May 2020 – Fregat from 2011 continues disintegration in high orbit
11 May 2020 1533 UT – CZ-5B first stage falls into Atlantic by luck alone
11 May 2020 1608 UT – Cygnus NG-13 departs ISS
12 May 2020 0116 UT – Jiuquan KZ-1A 2x Xingyun-2 EOS/Comm/Demo

Regional news
09 May 2020 – Statement by Winnipeg Airport rebuffed by Transport Canada
11 May 2020 – WestJet cancels flights into July
12 May 2020 – Snowbirds fly over Manitoba
12 May 2020 – MB 150 digital book collection holds hidden gems in aerospace history
12 May 2020 – Vincent Ledvina (U North Dakota) works on Aurora camera
13 May 2020 – Alberta wildfire still burns one year later
13 May 2020 – Budget cut means more layoffs at U Manitoba
13 May 2020 – Dr. Carl Isaacson featured by Minnesota Space Grant
13 May 2020 – U Minnesota Balloon Team featured by Minnesota Space Grant
13 May 2020 – Delta Airlines stops service to Saskatoon
14 May 2020 – Snowbirds fly over Saskatoon and Regina
14 May 2020 – Iowa Space Grant asks colleges for project proposals

Further news
09 May 2020 – USSF buys SpaceX data from other launches
10 May 2020 – Latest Starship SN4 cryotest reaches 750 kPa pressure
11 May 2020 – Virgin Galactic goes on sale to prop up sister airline
12 May 2020 – NASA signs deal for additional Soyuz seat
13 May 2020 – Falcon 9 test fires on pad ahead of ninth Starlink delivery
13 May 2020 – Crew Dragon DM-2 astronauts are in pre-launch medical isolation
14 May 2020 – EPA will not regulate water pollution from perchlorate, oxidizer for solid rockets
14 May 2020 – Intelsat goes bankrupt
14 May 2020 – Artemis program schedule slides into 2021

COVID-19 matters
08 May 2020 – FDA approves Rutgers easy but imperfect COVID spit test
08 May 2020 – Land-O-Lakes co-op opens up Wi-Fi for rural users
08 May 2020 – 3M to make 96 million N95 masks monthly at WI, SD factories
09 May 2020 – COVID spreads at Minnesota Amazon plant
09 May 2020 – Close quarters make COVID hard to fight at Iowa meat plant
09 May 2020 – FDA approves antigen test, faster than virus PCR
09 May 2020 – Lopinavir-ritonavir + ribavirin + interferon beta-1b drug triplet passes Phase II
11 May 2020 – COVID cases mount at Alberta food processors
12 May 2020 – Dr. Susan Kline (U Minnesota) tests drug cocktails against COVID
12 May 2020 – U Saskatchewan plans all-remote fall semester
12 May 2020 – Air Guard flyovers of Minnesota
12 May 2020 – Zyus Life Sciences of Saskatoon wants to print vaccine with plants
12 May 2020 – Rural SK lacks the broadband capacity for everyday needs
12 May 2020 – “MN Masks On” volunteers make masks for hospital visitors
13 May 2020 – Saskatchewan out 2.2 M$ for COVID tests now banned by Health Canada
13 May 2020 – Sask journo in UK takes a trial dose of U Oxford ChAdOx vaccine
14 May 2020 – Mayo and 5000 tests: Convalescent plasma doesn’t hurt COVID patients

Delta cuts Saskatoon flight

Delta Airlines has suspended service to Saskatoon International Airport (YXE) effective 13 May 2020. The announcement came in a Delta press release on 8 May. The city had been served by ERJ 175s from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP). Saskatoon is still linked by Air Canada and WestJet to other air hubs, and by Transwest Air to points north.

Delta and other airlines have sought to cut service to US cities, but have been prevented from doing so without FAA approval, due to requirements under the CARES Act. Delta’s international flights are not subject to the same level of review, and passenger travel between the US and Canada remains under tight restrictions that may not be relaxed soon.

CNSA flight tests two next-gen spacecraft this week

A Long March 5B rocket carries the Next Generation Crew Vehicle from Wenchang, 5 May 2020. (Weibo)

Orbital news
20200505 1000 UT – Wenchang CZ-5B NextGen Crew Test Flight
20200507 – CNSA ‘umbrella’ cargo reentry test failed; crew capsule healthy

Regional news
04 May 2020 – Laser strikes Saskatoon plane
04 May 2020 – WY firm Frontier Astronautics gets NASA funds for hybrid rocket pump
07 May 2020 – U Colorado-Boulder gets funds for GLEE LunaSat

Further news
01 May 2020 – Telesat LEO schedule slips, satellite supplier not even settled
01 May 2020 – Astronauts ready to fly Crew Dragon DM-2
03 May 2020 – Crew Dragon succeeds at final parachute test
05 May 2020 – Tom Cruise, SpaceX plan a film on the ISS
05 May 2020 – Virgin Galactic deal will study suborbital passenger flights
05 May 2020 – NASA, Space Force to take asteroid defence measures
06 May 2020 – Failed LAN firewall on ISS replaced
06 May 2020 – Starship SN4 fires engine at Boca China test stand

COVID-19 matters
01 May 2020 – Outbreak at Calgary Amazon warehouse
01 May 2020 – Manitoba Museum lays off 40, closes
01 May 2020 – NIH slashes COVID research funding
02 May 2020 – U Minnesota epidemiologist says pandemic COVID may last 2 years
04 May 2020 – Canadian provinces relax COVID restrictions
04 May 2020 – Meat plants partially reopen
04 May 2020 – ND fab plants enhance COVID measures after LM outbreak
04 May 2020 – U Manitoba researcher talks hospital website privacy risks
05 May 2020 – Alberta meat inspectors demand another plant close
05 May 2020 – U Manitoba med student makes soft, reusable silicone facemasks
06 May 2020 – Massive compost effort in Worthington as food waste piles up
06 May 2020 – North Dakota SU students process COVID tests
06 May 2020 – Outbreak at Saskatoon milk plant
06 May 2020 – Outbreak at Calgary grocery store
07 May 2020 – COVID closes La Loche SK grocer
07 May 2020 – Buried CDC reopen guide sees light of day