Fargo Orbit – Page 16 – Science and Space seen from the Great Plains

Hayabusa2 blasts Ryugu, SpaceX test fires Falcon Heavy

Ryugu is a little bit smaller after a controlled explosion was set off on its upper limb this morning. Hayabusa2’s detachable camera DCAM3 captured the image while the larger probe was safely on the far side of the asteroid.

Falcon Heavy’s launch of ArabSat-6A slipped to “not earlier than” Tuesday 9 April, even as a successful static test concluded at the Kennedy Space Centre. Weather reports indicate a probable delay to Wednesday.

Not much to see at Boca Chica, 5 April 2019 (Credit: SPadre.com)

Meanwhile, at the SpaceX facility in Boca Chica, Texas, the Starship “Hopper” testbed was obscured by fog as watchers waited for it to fire a second time after its dramatic 3 April lighting.

CSA astronaut David Saint-Jacques spoke in French and English to FIRST Robotics students in Québec this afternoon, amid preparations for his first spacewalk scheduled for Monday morning alongside Anne McClain.

Also, yesterday SpaceIL’s Beresheet probe completed its insertion into lunar orbit. If you’d like to check its progress, there’s a nice website where you can view its current and historical trajectory, as it counts down a little more than 6 days to a lunar landing.

Progress and o3b reach orbit

April 4 saw two orbital missions, one space probe milestone, and a rocket ground test.

(ROSCOSMOS TV)
(NASA TV)
Progress MS-11 docks alongside Soyuz MS-12 (NASA TV)

The Progress MS-11 resupply mission reached the International Space Station at 1422 UT, following two orbits and a launch from Baikonur on a Soyuz-2 rocket at 1101. The capsule delivered 3.4 t of spare parts, fuel, and consumables. The successful mission is another sign that life is returning to normal on the station, which returned to a full crew of six astronauts after Soyuz MS-12 arrived three weeks ago.

Soyuz VS22 carries 4 o3b commsats to MEO (Arianespace)

At 1704, Arianespace launched four commsats for SES/o3b on Soyuz mission VS22. Much like the existing o3b fleet, the new satellites will operate at a 8000-km medium-earth orbit, and provide high-speed internet through targetable spot-beams. Though other firms are building low-earth orbit Internet constellations, for the moment o3b is the highest-performance option among systems that are fully operational. It is also relatively expensive and mainly filling an enterprise backhaul role for ISPs and wireless providers, rather than a direct-to-consumer model.

Fargo Orbit set to launch

We are happy to announce The Fargo Orbit, which will provide news on aerospace and scientific endeavours in central North America, from the Great Plains to Hudson’s Bay, from the Great Lakes to the Rockies, and beyond!

We are inspired by new frontiers in space and knowledge, and plan to share the latest events with the general public with clarity and exactitude. Together with the expert artists, businesspeople, educators, engineers, journalists, and scientists who are our peers and sources, we will provide a vital dialogue to advance the state of the arts and the boundaries of human existence.

We will maintain our honesty and editorial independence to the best of our abilities. We will put the truth first, not revenue or pageloads. Our supporters can expect to review on a regular basis, our full report of our operation.

The Fargo Orbit is published by Table Heavy Industries LLC in a special project for the public benefit.