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SKYNET!!!!? 9PM CT - 10:30 PM CT

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Saturday’s Topic: “Earth’s Mini-Moon Was Probably a Piece of Its Real Moon” & Constellation “Lepus, the Hare”?

Electronic Check-Ins:

?Net Control: Bill N5BB

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Afterglow Movie 10:30PM: “Escape from L.A.” (1996)

2-Meter Repeater W5FC: 146.880MHz, PL 110.9, -

Echolink: W5FC-R, node 37247.

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Youtube.com Search “DARC Skynet”

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Saturday’s DARC SkyNet is at 9PM CT.

Recent Astronomical Discoveries?

Pandora, a small satellite mission poised to provide in-depth study of at least 20 known planets

Discussion Topic of the Evening.

Earth’s Mini-Moon Was Probably a Piece of Its Real Moon

From Scientific American By

Mini-Me Moon

Waz Up

Space Exploration and Space History?

Space Exploration News

Boom Supersonic XB-1 jet breaks sound barrier on historic test flight

NASA’s Asteroid Bennu Sample Reveals Mix of Life’s Ingredients

Space-Related Birthdays

John M. Fabian 28-Jan-1939 STS-7, STS-51-G

David C. Hilmers 28-Jan-1950 STS-51-J, STS-26, STS-36, STS-42

Christina Koch 29-Jan-1979 Soyuz MS-12/Soyuz MS-13 (Expedition 59/60/61), Artemis 2

Wally Funk? 31-Jan-1939 NS-16

Daniel M. Tani 01-Feb-1961 STS-108, STS-120/122 (Expedition 16)?

This Week in Space History

January 27, 1967 Apollo 1 Flash Fire

January 31, 1961, Mercury-Redstone Ham Flight

January 31st, Apollo 14 Launched

January 28, 1986, Shuttle Challenger exploded, killing all seven crew members.?

February 1, 2003 Shuttle Columbia Disintegrated on Re-Entry

January 31, 1958 – Explorer 1 Launched

Miss Carolyn’s Constellation of the Week

Space Launches For This Week

Space Flight Now Launch Schedule

February 2 H3 ? QZS-6

Launch time: 5:30 p.m. JST (3:30 a.m. EST, 0830 UTC)

Launch site: Yoshinobu Launch Complex, JAXA Tanegashima Space Center

The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will launch the 5th H3 rocket with the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZS-6) satellite onboard. The QZS System is GPS compatible and provides secure positioning services. The satellite will carry what the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command describes as “a space domain awareness optical payload,” which was designed and built by the MIT Lincoln Laboratory. This is the first of two Japanese satellites that will host a payload from the U.S. Space Force.

Updated: February 01

February 3 Falcon 9 ? Starlink 12-3

Launch time: 3:54 a.m. EST (0854 UTC)

Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch another batch of Starlink V2 Mini satellites into low Earth orbit. A little more than eight minutes after liftoff, the first stage booster will target at landing on a droneship positioned in the Atlantic Ocean.

Updated: February 02

NET February 3/4 Electron ? ‘IOT 4 You and Me’

Launch time: 9:43 a.m. NZDT on Feb. 4 (3:43 p.m. EST, 2043 UTC on Feb. 3)

Launch site: Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

A Rocket Lab Electron rocket will launch a batch of five satellites for Kinéis’ Internet of Things (IOT) constellation. This will be the fourth out of five planned launches to deploy the 25 satellites. Rocket Lab will not be attempting to recover the booster.

Updated: January 23

February 3 Falcon 9 ? WorldView Legion 5 & 6

Launch time: Window opens at 6:32 p.m. EST (2332 UTC)

Launch site: Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the third and final pair of WorldView Legion Earth observation satellites for Maxar Technologies, which will complete the first block. These series of high-resolution remote sensing satellites operate in a mix of sun-synchronous and mid-inclination orbits. Satellites 5 and 6 will launch into MIO. About eight minutes after liftoff, the first stage booster will target a touchdown at Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Updated: January 30

TBD Falcon 9 ? Starlink 10-12

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch another batch of Starlink V2 Mini satellites into low Earth orbit. A little more than eight minutes after liftoff, the first stage booster will land on a SpaceX droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

Updated: January 24

NET February 26 Falcon 9 ? IM-2

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch Intuitive Machines’ second robotic mission to the Moon. Onboard will be a Nova-C class lander named Athena or Attie, for short. It will fly several commercial payloads along with three NASA science payloads as part of the agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. NASA also has its Lunar Trailblazer spacecraft launching as a rideshare payload, which will be deployed separately. The Lunar Trailblazer was selected as part of NASA’s Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration (SIMPLEx) program in 2019. Following stage separation, the Falcon 9 first stage booster will target a touchdown at Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Updated: January 31

NET February 27/28 Falcon 9 ? SPHEREx and PUNCH

Launch time: 7:10 p.m. PST (10:10 p.m. EST, 0310 UTC)

Launch site: SLC-4E, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch two co-manifested missions on behalf of NASA. The primary payload is the Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx) observatory, which is designed to map the entire sky in infrared light. The total mission cost for SPHEREx, including launch is about $488 million. Sharing the Falcon 9 rocket is the Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH), which consists of four suitcase-sized satellites designed to map a region around the Sun where the corona transitions to solar wind. Both missions will launch to a polar orbit and will be deployed about 11 minutes apart. A little less than eight minutes after liftoff, the Falcon 9 first stage booster will target a touchdown at Landing Zone 4 back at VSFB.

Updated: February 01

NET March Falcon 9 ? Transporter-13

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: SLC-4E, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a dozens of satellites on the company’s 13th smallsat rideshare mission to a sun-synchronous orbit. Among those satellites are a trio of CubeSats for NASA’s Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer (EZIE) mission; Arvaker 1, the first microsatellie for Kongsberg NanoAvionics’ N3X constellation; and the Botsat-1 satellite from Botswana. Less than eight minutes after liftoff, the first stage booster will return for a touchdown at a landing pad near the launch site.

Visible satellite passages over the next couple of days.

You can use the website to find out what’s in orbit and

where to look during fly-overs

All times are “local” (Dallas) time.

ISS

Feb 2

Feb 4

Tiangong

Feb 6

Feb 7

Feb 8

SKYNET!!!!? 9PM CT - 10:30 PM CT

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Saturday’s Topic: “Seeing vs Transparency” & Constellation “Orion the Hunter”?

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Net Control: Billye KF5PDS

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Afterglow Movie 10:30PM: “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (1977 - Director’s Edition)

2-Meter Repeater W5FC: 146.880MHz, PL 110.9, -

Echolink: W5FC-R, node 37247.

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Youtube.com Search “DARC Skynet”

Facebook.com Search “DARC Skynet”

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Direct Video Link:

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IO Group:/g/DARCskynet/topics

Facebook Group:

Saturday’s DARC SkyNet is at 9PM CT.

??

Recent Astronomical Discoveries?

Extreme supersonic winds measured on planet outside our Solar System

Artist’s Concept Drawing of WASP-127b

Discussion Topic of the Evening.

“Seeing vs Transparency”?

From “The Astronomical League” website “astroleague.org”.

Clear Sky Chart

Rayleigh Scattering

Waz Up

Space Exploration and Space History?

Brenda WB5OZL/Tom KE5ICX (Alternates Each Week)

Space Exploration News

Study Finds Earth’s Small Asteroid Visitor Likely Chunk of Moon Rock

NASA honors fallen astronauts with 'Day of Remembrance' ceremony

Trillions of comets discovered orbiting alien planet systems

Space-Related Birthdays

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January 20, 1930: Buzz Aldrin (Gemini 12, Apollo 11)

January 20, 1948: Jerry L. Ross (STS-61-B, STS-27, STS-37, STS-55, STS-74, STS-88, STS-110)

January? 21, 1950 Joseph R. Tanner (STS-66, STS-82, STS-97, STS-115)?

January 22, 1955: Thomas David Jones (STS-59, STS-68, STS-80, STS-98)

January 23, 1930: William Pogue (Skylab 4)

January 23, 1943: Robert Cabana (STS-41, STS-53, STS-65, STS-88)

January 23, 1973: Kjell Lindgren (Exp. 44/45, SpaceX Crew-4 – Exp 67/68)

January 23, 1974: Jack Fischer (Exp. 51/52)

January 24, 1952: William F. Readdy (STS-42, STS-51, STS-79)

This Week in Space History

2015:

January 19:?

Launch of New Horizons Mission to Pluto

January 22:

1968:?

Launch of Apollo 5

January 23

2003:

Pioneer 10 Sends Last Transmission

January 24:

1986:

Voyager 2 Flyby of Uranus

2004:?

Mars Rover Opportunity Lands on Mars

Miss Carolyn’s Constellation of the Week

Orion, the Hunter.

Space Launches For This Week

Space Flight Now Launch Schedule

January 27 Falcon 9 ? Starlink 12-7

Launch time: Window opens at 2:21 p.m. EST (1921 UTC)

Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch another batch of Starlink V2 Mini satellites to low Earth orbit. A little more than eight minutes after liftoff, the first stage booster will target a landing on a droneship positioned in the Atlantic Ocean.

Updated: January 24

NET February 3/4 Electron ? ‘IOT 4 You and Me’

Launch time: 9:43 a.m. NZDT on Feb. 4 (3:43 p.m. EST, 2043 UTC on Feb. 3)

Launch site: Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

A Rocket Lab Electron rocket will launch a batch of five satellites for Kinéis’ Internet of Things (IOT) constellation. This will be the fourth out of five planned launches to deploy the 25 satellites. Rocket Lab will not be attempting to recover the booster.

Updated: January 23

TBD Falcon 9 ? Starlink 10-12

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch another batch of Starlink V2 Mini satellites into low Earth orbit. A little more than eight minutes after liftoff, the first stage booster will land on a SpaceX droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

Updated: January 24

NET Spring 2025 New Glenn ? EscaPADE

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: Launch Complex 36, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket will launch a pair of identical spacecraft on NASA’s Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (EscaPADE) mission. The two satellites, named Blue and Gold, will make a roughly 11-month journey to Mars where they will then perform about an 11-month science mission while orbiting the Red Planet. Blue and Gold were manufactured by Rocket Lab over about 3.5 years and carry science experiments from the University of California, Berkeley. This launch of the New Glenn rocket will also feature a landing attempt on its landing barge in the Atlantic Ocean. Delayed from October 13.

Updated: September 11

TBD 2025 Vulcan Centaur ? Dream Chaser 1

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

A United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur rocket will launch on its second demonstration flight with Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser cargo vehicle for the International Space Station. The Dream Chaser is a lifting body resupply spacecraft that will launch on top of a rocket and land on a runway. This will be the Dream Chaser’s first flight to space. The Vulcan Centaur rocket will fly in the VC4L configuration with four GEM-63XL solid rocket boosters, a long-length payload fairing, and two RL10 engines on the Centaur upper stage. Delayed from August 2022, December 2023, January 2024,? April 2024 and September 2024.

Updated: October 17

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Visible satellite passages over the next couple of days.

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All times are “local” (Dallas) time.

ISS

Jan 29

Jan 30

Jan 31

Feb 1

Feb 2

Tiangong

Jan 26

Jan 27

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SKYNET!!!!? 9PM CT - 10:30 PM CT

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Saturday’s Topic: “SpaceX or Blue Origin?” & “Caelum, the Chisel and Columba, the Dove”?

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Net Control: Tom KE5ICX

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Afterglow Movie 10:30PM: “Shaun of the Dead” (2004)

2-Meter Repeater W5FC: 146.880MHz, PL 110.9, -

Echolink: W5FC-R, node 37247.

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Youtube.com Search “DARC Skynet”

Facebook.com Search “DARC Skynet”

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Direct Video Link:

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IO Group:/g/DARCskynet/topics

Facebook Group:

Saturday’s DARC SkyNet is at 9PM CT.

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Discussion Topic of the Evening.

“SpaceX or Blue Origin?”

New Glenn

Space X, Blue Origin and NASA Saturn V, compared

Project Kuiper?

Next Gen Orbital Boosters Compared

Jeff Bezos

Waz Up

Space Exploration and Space History?

Space Exploration News

SpaceX catches Super Heavy booster on Starship Flight 7 test but loses upper stage

SpaceX Catches Super Heavy Booster

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin launches massive New Glenn rocket into orbit on 1st flight

New Glenn Launch

Sticks and Stones: The Molecular Clouds in the Heart of the Milky Way

From Universetoday.com

Sgr A (Sticks Cloud / Stone Cloud)

Space-Related Birthdays

January 14, 1943: Shannon Lucid (STS-51-G, STS-34, STS-43, STS-58, STS-76/79 Mir Space Station)

January 16, 1952: L. Blaine Hammond (STS-39, STS-64)

January 16, 1946: Michael Coats (STS-41-D, STS-29, STS-39)

January 16, 1955: Jerry Linenger (STS-64, STS-81/84? Mir Space Station)

This Week in Space History

January 14:

2005: The European Space Agency Huygens probe touched down on Titan, one of the moons of Saturn. It was the first time a human-made vehicle had touched down on the surface of a Moon in our outer Solar System. Huygens had traveled to Saturn with NASA's Cassini Mission to Saturn.

Jan. 13

1993 - Launch of STS-54 Endeavour - Launch of TDRS 6?

TDRS 6 Launch

It is an American communications satellite, of first generation, which is operated by NASA as part of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System. It was constructed by TRW, and is based on a custom satellite bus which was used for all seven first generation TDRS satellites.

Jan. 14

1969 - Launch of Soyuz 4 carrying cosmonaut Vladimir Shatalov on his first flight. The aim of the mission was to dock with Soyuz 5, transfer two crew members from that spacecraft, and return to Earth.

2008 - First Messenger flyby of Mercury.

Jan. 15

1969- Launch of Soyuz 5 which docked with Soyuz 4 in orbit.

Jan. 16

1978 - NASA Astronaut Training Group 8 Selected?

The group was selected to provide pilot, engineer, and scientist astronauts for space shuttle flights.

2003 - Launch of STS-107

It was the 113th flight in the Space Shuttle program and the 28th and final flight of the Space Shuttle Columbia.?

Jan. 17?

1990 - NASA Astronaut Training Group 13 Selected?

Miss Carolyn’s Constellation of the Week

Caelum, the chisel and Columba, the dove.?

Space Launches For This Week

Space Flight Now Launch Schedule

NET January 19 Falcon 9 ? Starlink 11-8

Launch time: 7:35 a.m. PST (10:35 a.m. EST, 1535 UTC)

Launch site: SLC-4E, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a batch of 27 Starlink V2 Mini satellites to low Earth orbit. A little more than eight minutes after liftoff, the first stage booster will target a landing on the droneship, ‘Of Course I Still Love You,’ positioned out in the Pacific Ocean. Delayed from Jan. 18.

Updated: January 18

January 21 Falcon 9 ? Starlink 13-1

Launch time: Four-hour window opens 12:13 a.m. EDT (0513 UTC)

Launch site: LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch another batch of Starlink V2 Mini satellites into low Earth orbit. A little more than eight minutes after liftoff, the first stage booster will land on a SpaceX droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

Updated: January 17

January 24 Falcon 9 ? Starlink 11-6

Launch time: Window opens at 5:54 a.m. PST (8:54 a.m. EST, 1354 UTC)

Launch site: SLC-4E, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch another batch of Starlink V2 Mini satellites to low Earth orbit. A little more than eight minutes after liftoff, the first stage booster will target a landing on the droneship, ‘Of Course I Still Love You,’ positioned out in the Pacific Ocean.

Updated: January 18

January 24 Falcon 9 ? Starlink 10-12

Launch time: Four-hour window opens 5:45 p.m. EST (2245 UTC)

Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch another batch of Starlink V2 Mini satellites into low Earth orbit. A little more than eight minutes after liftoff, the first stage booster will land on a SpaceX droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

Updated: January 17

NET Spring 2025 New Glenn ? EscaPADE

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: Launch Complex 36, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket will launch a pair of identical spacecraft on NASA’s Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (EscaPADE) mission. The two satellites, named Blue and Gold, will make a roughly 11-month journey to Mars where they will then perform about an 11-month science mission while orbiting the Red Planet. Blue and Gold were manufactured by Rocket Lab over about 3.5 years and carry science experiments from the University of California, Berkeley. This launch of the New Glenn rocket will also feature a landing attempt on its landing barge in the Atlantic Ocean. Delayed from October 13.

Updated: September 11

TBD 2025 Vulcan Centaur ? Dream Chaser 1

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

A United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur rocket will launch on its second demonstration flight with Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser cargo vehicle for the International Space Station. The Dream Chaser is a lifting body resupply spacecraft that will launch on top of a rocket and land on a runway. This will be the Dream Chaser’s first flight to space. The Vulcan Centaur rocket will fly in the VC4L configuration with four GEM-63XL solid rocket boosters, a long-length payload fairing, and two RL10 engines on the Centaur upper stage. Delayed from August 2022, December 2023, January 2024,? April 2024 and September 2024.

Updated: October 17

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Visible satellite passages over the next couple of days.

You can use the website to find out what’s in orbit and

where to look during fly-overs

?

All times are “local” (Dallas) time.

ISS - No passes

Tiangong

Jan 21

Jan 23

Jan 24

Jan 25

Jan 26

SKYNET!!!!? 9PM CT - 10:30 PM CT

Electronic Check-In:

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Saturday’s Topic: “Arecibo Observatory: The rise, legacy, and tragic collapse of a giant” & Constellation “Taurus the Bull”?

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Net Control: Virginia NV5F

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Afterglow Movie 10:30PM: “The Doomsday Machine” (1976)

2-Meter Repeater W5FC: 146.880MHz, PL 110.9, -

Echolink: W5FC-R, node 37247.

?

Youtube.com Search “DARC Skynet”

Facebook.com Search “DARC Skynet”

?

Direct Video Link:

?

IO Group:/g/DARCskynet/topics

Facebook Group:

Saturday’s DARC SkyNet is at 9PM CT

Recent Astronomical Discoveries?

Citizen science reveals that Jupiter's colorful clouds are not made of ammonia ice

Jupiter

Discussion Topic of the Evening?

“Arecibo Observatory: The rise, legacy, and tragic collapse of a giant”

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Arecibo and the Milky Way

Arecibo Message and Decoded Key

Goldeneye

Aging Arecibo Telescope (2019)

Photo: Dedication 1963

Upgraded Telescope with New Dome Reflector Array

Mountain View

Doppler Radar Schematic

FRB-2 Artist’s Concept

Arecibo’s Phaethon Radar Images

Secondary Array Collapse

Late Night Photo 2014

Waz Up

Space Exploration and Space History?

Space Exploration News

Astronaut Set to Patch NASA’s X-ray Telescope Aboard Space Station

How US-Indian NISAR Satellite Will Offer Unique Window on Earth

Mars rock samples may contain evidence of alien life, but can NASA get them back to Earth?

Space-Related Birthdays

January 6, 1948: Guy Gardner STS-27, STS-35

January 6, 1948 : Michael Foale STS-45, STS-56, STS-63, STS-84 (up), Mir NASA-5 (Mir EO-23 and 24(, STS-86 (down), STS-103, Soyuz TMA-3 (Expedition 8)

January 7, 1941: Frederick Gregory STS-51-B, STS-33, STS-44; CAPCOM during Challenger; Deputy Administrator of NASA 2002-2005

January 11, 1975: Robert Hines, KI5RQT SpaceX Crew-4/Exp 67-68 – April – Oct 2022

This Week in Space History

On this day in 1998 ( January 6, EST, January 7, UT), NASA's Lunar Prospector spacecraft launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station: "Lunar Prospector, built for the NASA Ames Research Center by Lockheed Martin.?

On Jan. 5, 1972, President Nixon directed NASA Administrator James C. Fletcher to develop the Space Transportation System, the formal name for the space shuttle – the only element of the STG’s recommendations to survive the budgetary challenges.??

Jan. 7, 1968 Surveyor 7 launched.

Jan 8, 1942: British physicist Stephen Hawking was born.

Jan 9,? 1963: The Relay 1 communications satellite relayed the first television program through space.

Jan 10, 1946: Near Belmar, New Jersey, Lt. Col. John H. DeWitt, Jr (N4CBC) bounced a radio signal off of the moon.?

Jan 11, 1962: In his State of the Union message to the Congress, President John F. Kennedy said: "With the approval of this Congress, we have undertaken in the past year a great new effort in outer space.”

Miss Carolyn’s Constellation of the Week

Constellation “Taurus the Bull”?

Space Launches For This Week

Space Flight Now Launch Schedule

NET January 12 New Glenn ? NG-1

Launch time: 1 a.m. EST (0600 UTC)

Launch site: Launch Complex 36, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket will launch the company’s Blue Ring spacecraft, which is capable of both hosting and deploying multiple payloads. Blue Origin will attempt to land the first stage booster on its sea-based landing platform, ‘Jacklyn.’ Delayed from Jan. 6. Delayed from Jan. 10 due to rough seas in the booster recovery zone.

Updated: January 09

NET January 13 Falcon 9 ? Starlink 12-4

Launch time: Window opens 9:59 a.m. EST (1459 UTC)

Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch another batch of Starlink V2 Mini satellites into low Earth orbit. A little more than eight minutes after liftoff, the first stage booster will land on a SpaceX droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

Updated: January 07

NET January 13 Starship ? Flight 7

Launch time: 4 p.m. CST (5 p.m. EST, 2200 UTC)

Launch site: OLP-A, Starbase, Boca Chica Beach, Texas

SpaceX will launch its sixth, suborbital flight test of its fully integrated Starship rocket, a combination of the Ship upper stage (S33) and the Super Heavy booster (B14). SpaceX plans to catch the Super Heavy booster using the chopsticks on the launch tower, but will make a final determination on the catch following liftoff and stage separation. This mission will feature first block upgrades for the Ship upper stage. S33 will perform a landing flip and made a gentle splashdown in the Indian Ocean.

Updated: January 08

NET January 14 Falcon 9 ? Transporter-12

Launch time: Window opens at 10:49 a.m. PST (1:49 p.m. EST, 1849 UTC)

Launch site: SLC-4E, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the company’s 12th rideshare mission to a sun-synchronous orbit. Onboard are a variety of customer satellites, including 35 satellites integrated by Exolaunch along with 36 SuperDoves and Pelican-2 from Planet Labs PBC. Less than eight minutes after liftoff, the first stage booster will return to a landing pad near the launch site.

Updated: January 09

NET January 15 Falcon 9 ? ‘Ghost Riders in the Sky’

Launch time: 1:11 a.m. EST (0611 UTC)

Launch site: Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a pair of lunar landers to begin independent journeys to the Moon. The primary payload is Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lunar lander. It will carry 10 science payloads from NASA as part of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. The ‘Ghost Riders in the Sky’ mission will target a landing at Mare Crisium, near Mons Latreille, in early March. Japan-based ispace’s Resilience lander will also travel to the Moon as a secondary payload on the Falcon 9 rocket. It will take between four and five months before making its landing attempt near the center of Mare Frigoris. It too caries a number of payloads, including the Tenacious micro rover.

Updated: January 07

NET Spring 2025 New Glenn ? EscaPADE

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: Launch Complex 36, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket will launch a pair of identical spacecraft on NASA’s Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (EscaPADE) mission. The two satellites, named Blue and Gold, will make a roughly 11-month journey to Mars where they will then perform about an 11-month science mission while orbiting the Red Planet. Blue and Gold were manufactured by Rocket Lab over about 3.5 years and carry science experiments from the University of California, Berkeley. This launch of the New Glenn rocket will also feature a landing attempt on its landing barge in the Atlantic Ocean. Delayed from October 13.

Updated: September 11

TBD 2025 Vulcan Centaur ? Dream Chaser 1

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

A United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur rocket will launch on its second demonstration flight with Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser cargo vehicle for the International Space Station. The Dream Chaser is a lifting body resupply spacecraft that will launch on top of a rocket and land on a runway. This will be the Dream Chaser’s first flight to space. The Vulcan Centaur rocket will fly in the VC4L configuration with four GEM-63XL solid rocket boosters, a long-length payload fairing, and two RL10 engines on the Centaur upper stage. Delayed from August 2022, December 2023, January 2024,? April 2024 and September 2024.

??

Visible satellite passages over the next couple of days.

You can use the website to find out what’s in orbit and

where to look during fly-overs?

All times are “local” (Dallas) time.

ISS

Jan 12

Jan 13

Jan 14

Jan 15

Tiangong

Jan 12

Jan 13

SKYNET!!!!? 9PM CT - 10:30 PM CT

?

Saturday’s Topic: “Do We Live in a Special Part of the Universe?” & Constellations “Perseus, the Hero” and “Camelopardalis, the Giraffe”?

?

Net Control: Bill N5BB

?

Afterglow Movie 10:30PM: Mission Stardust” (1967)?

2-Meter Repeater W5FC: 146.880MHz, PL 110.9, -

Echolink: W5FC-R, node 37247.

?

Youtube.com Search “DARC Skynet”

Facebook.com Search “DARC Skynet”

?

Direct Video Link:

?

IO Group:/g/DARCskynet/topics

Facebook Group:

Saturday’s DARC SkyNet is at 9PM CT.

?Recent Astronomical Discoveries?

Scientists Pin Down the Origins of a Fast Radio Burst (FRB)

Artist’s Concept - FRB

Discussion Topic of the Evening.

Do We Live in a Special Part of the Universe?

An illustration of the Cosmic Web

CMB Map

Large Scale Universe Structure

Cosmological Principle (Redshift) Illustrated

Waz Up

Space Exploration and Space History?

Space Exploration News

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Blue Origin test fires New Glenn first stage ahead of inaugural launch

Scientists have discovered a new way oxygen can form in carbon-dioxide-rich atmospheres of worlds beyond our own?

Space-Related Birthdays

Nancy Currie-Gregg Dec 29, 1958 STS-57, STS-70, STS-88, STS-109

Barry “Butch” Wilmore, Dec 29, 1962 STS-129, Exp 41/42, Boeing Crewed Flight Test – April 2025?

Daniel Barry Dec 30, 1953 STS-72, STS-96, STS-105

Steven Smith Dec 30, 1958 STS-68, STS-82, STS-103, STS-110

Martin J. Fettman? Dec 31 1956 STS-58

Christopher Cassidy Jan 4 1970 STS-127, Soyuz TMA-08M (Expedition 35/36), Soyuz MS-16 (Expedition 62/63)?

This Week in Space History

December 30, 1930 The First Photograph Taken Showing the Curvature of the Earth

The photo was taken from an airplane east of the Andes Mountain range in South America. Capt. Albert W. Stevens, an officer in the U.S. Army Air Corps and an aerial photographer, took the image while flying at an altitude of 21,000 feet over Villa Mercedes, Argentina. The Andes Mountains, 287 miles away, and although taller than the plane’s altitude, lay below the sensible horizon. The Earth’s curvature explains this phenomenon, as described in the diagram accompanying the photograph. The Earth’s curvature is also visible laterally in the photograph, although the effect is subtle as the image encompasses only 1/360 of the Earth’s circumference. About 5 years later, Capt. Stevens took another photo from a high-altitude balloon from over South Dakota at a then world record altitude of 72,395 feet.

January 1, 1801 Ceres Discovered

December 31, 2004? Flyby of Iapetus

Miss Carolyn’s Constellation of the Week

Constellations “Perseus, the Hero” and “Camelopardalis, the Giraffe”?

Space Launches For This Week

Space Flight Now Launch Schedule

January 5 Falcon 9 ? Starlink 6-71

Launch time: 12:10 p.m. EST (1710 UTC)

Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch another batch of Starlink V2 Mini satellites to low Earth orbit. A little more than eight minutes after liftoff, the first stage booster will land on a droneship positioned in the Atlantic Ocean.

Updated: December 30

NET January 6 New Glenn ? NG-1

Launch time: 1 a.m. EST (0600 UTC)

Launch site: Launch Complex 36, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket will launch the company’s Blue Ring spacecraft, which is capable of both hosting and deploying multiple payloads. Blue Origin will attempt to land the first stage booster on its sea-based landing platform, ‘Jacklyn.’

Updated: January 02

January 6 Falcon 9 ? Starlink 12-11

Launch time: Window opens at 11:19 a.m. EST (1619 UTC)

Launch site: Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the latest batch of Starlink V2 Mini satellites into low Earth orbit. A little more than eight minutes after liftoff, the first stage booster will land on a droneship positioned in the Atlantic Ocean.

Updated: January 03

NET January 10 Starship ? Flight 7

Launch time: 4 p.m. CST (5 p.m. EST, 2200 UTC)

Launch site: OLP-A, Starbase, Boca Chica Beach, Texas

SpaceX will launch its sixth, suborbital flight test of its fully integrated Starship rocket, a combination of the Ship upper stage (S33) and the Super Heavy booster (B14). SpaceX plans to catch the Super Heavy booster using the chopsticks on the launch tower, but will make a final determination on the catch following liftoff and stage separation. This mission will feature first block upgrades for the Ship upper stage. S33 will perform a landing flip and made a gentle splashdown in the Indian Ocean.

Updated: December 30

NET Spring 2025 New Glenn ? EscaPADE

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: Launch Complex 36, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket will launch a pair of identical spacecraft on NASA’s Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (EscaPADE) mission. The two satellites, named Blue and Gold, will make a roughly 11-month journey to Mars where they will then perform about an 11-month science mission while orbiting the Red Planet. Blue and Gold were manufactured by Rocket Lab over about 3.5 years and carry science experiments from the University of California, Berkeley. This launch of the New Glenn rocket will also feature a landing attempt on its landing barge in the Atlantic Ocean. Delayed from October 13.

Updated: September 11

TBD 2025 Vulcan Centaur ? Dream Chaser 1

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

A United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur rocket will launch on its second demonstration flight with Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser cargo vehicle for the International Space Station. The Dream Chaser is a lifting body resupply spacecraft that will launch on top of a rocket and land on a runway. This will be the Dream Chaser’s first flight to space. The Vulcan Centaur rocket will fly in the VC4L configuration with four GEM-63XL solid rocket boosters, a long-length payload fairing, and two RL10 engines on the Centaur upper stage. Delayed from August 2022, December 2023, January 2024,? April 2024 and September 2024.

Visible satellite passages over the next couple of days.?

All times are “local” (Dallas) time.

ISS

Jan 11

Jan 12

Jan 13

Tiangong

Jan 10

Jan 11

Jan 12

Jan 13

SKYNET!!!!? 9PM CT - 10:30 PM CT

?

Electronic Check-In Link:

Saturday’s Topic: “BepiColombo Mission to Mercury” & Constellations “Fornax the Furnace and Eridanus the River”?

?

Net Control: Billye KF5PDS

?

Afterglow Movie 10:30PM: “Shape of Things to Come” (1979)

2-Meter Repeater W5FC: 146.880MHz, PL 110.9, -

Echolink: W5FC-R, node 37247.

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Youtube.com Search “DARC Skynet”

Facebook.com Search “DARC Skynet”

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Saturday’s DARC SkyNet is at 9PM CT.

Recent Astronomical Discoveries?

Mysteries of icy ocean worlds - New research advances understanding of the habitability of icy moons

“Icy World” - Europa

Discussion Topic of the Evening.

“ESA BepiColombo Mission”

BepiColombo Mission to Mercury?

BepiColombo Call-outs

Mercury (Messenger)

MPO and MMO Orbits

MCS Schematic

MPO in Deployed Configuration

?Waz Up

Space Exploration and Space History?

Space Exploration News

Axiom's private space station is coming sooner than we thought

NASA probe makes closest ever pass by the Sun

Christmas in Space

Space-Related Birthdays

John L. Finley Dec 22, 1935 no missions, USAF MOL Group 1

Karol J. Bobko Dec 23, 1937 STS-6, STS-51-D, STS-51-J

Michael Anderson Dec 25, 1959 STS-89, STS-107

Nancy Currie-Gregg? Dec 29, 1958 STS-57, STS-70, STS-88, STS-109

Barry “Butch” Wilmore Dec 29, 1962: STS-129, Exp 41/42, Boeing Crewed Flight Test – April 2024?

Daniel Barry Dec 30, 1953 STS-72, STS-96, STS-105

Steven Smith Dec 30, 1958 STS-68, STS-82, STS-103, STS-110

This Week in Space History

December 22, 1966 HL-10 flight

December 25 2021 James Webb Space Telescope Launched

December 27, 1571 Johannes Kepler Born

Miss Carolyn’s Constellation of the Week

Fornax the Furnace and Eridanus the River

Space Launches For This Week

Space Flight Now Launch Schedule

12-28

December 29 Falcon 9 ? ‘Astranis: From One to Many’

Launch time: 12 a.m. EST (0500 UTC)

Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

A SpaceX Falcon 9 will launch four communications satellites for Astranis. The satellites are destined for a geostationary orbit. The Falcon 9 first stage will land on the drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas. Delayed from Dec. 17 due to poor weather. Delayed from Dec. 20/21 due to pad abort.

Updated: December 23

TBD New Glenn ? NG-1

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: Launch Complex 36, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket will launch the company’s Blue Ring spacecraft, which is capable of both hosting and deploying multiple payloads. Blue Origin will attempt to land the first stage booster on its sea-based landing platform, ‘Jacklyn.’

Updated: November 20

NET Spring 2025 New Glenn ? EscaPADE

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: Launch Complex 36, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket will launch a pair of identical spacecraft on NASA’s Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (EscaPADE) mission. The two satellites, named Blue and Gold, will make a roughly 11-month journey to Mars where they will then perform about an 11-month science mission while orbiting the Red Planet. Blue and Gold were manufactured by Rocket Lab over about 3.5 years and carry science experiments from the University of California, Berkeley. This launch of the New Glenn rocket will also feature a landing attempt on its landing barge in the Atlantic Ocean. Delayed from October 13.

Updated: September 11

TBD 2025 Vulcan Centaur ? Dream Chaser 1

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

A United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur rocket will launch on its second demonstration flight with Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser cargo vehicle for the International Space Station. The Dream Chaser is a lifting body resupply spacecraft that will launch on top of a rocket and land on a runway. This will be the Dream Chaser’s first flight to space. The Vulcan Centaur rocket will fly in the VC4L configuration with four GEM-63XL solid rocket boosters, a long-length payload fairing, and two RL10 engines on the Centaur upper stage. Delayed from August 2022, December 2023, January 2024,? April 2024 and September 2024.

Updated: October 17??

Visible satellite passages over the next couple of days.

You can use the website to find out what’s in orbit and

where to look during fly-overs

?

All times are “local” (Dallas) time.

ISS

Jan. 2

Jan. 3

Tiangong

Dec. 28

Dec. 30

Dec. 31

Jan. 2

SKYNET!!!!? 9PM CT - 10:30 PM CT

?

Saturday’s Topic: “US Space Force 5 Years Later” & “The Star of Bethlehem”?

?

Net Control: Brenda WB5OZL

?

Afterglow Movie 10:30PM: "Planets Against Us" (1962)

2-Meter Repeater W5FC: 146.880MHz, PL 110.9, -

Echolink: W5FC-R, node 37247.

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Youtube.com Search “DARC Skynet”

Facebook.com Search “DARC Skynet”

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Discussion Topic of the Evening.

US Space Force 5 years later: What has it accomplished so far, and where does it go from here?

The U.S. Space Force celebrates its fifth anniversary today.

Space Force

Space Operations Command

Space Deltas

CMSSF Roger Towberman

Space Command Operations

Recent Astronomical Discoveries?

Dark energy 'doesn't exist' so can't be pushing 'lumpy' Universe apart | ScienceDaily

Traditional “History of the Universe” Timeline

Special Feature: “The Star of Bethlehem”?

Star of Bethlehem?

Space Exploration and Space History?

Space Exploration News

12-15 thru 12-21

Dec. 18th: Space Force says first national security Vulcan Launch now anticipated in spring of 2025

Vulcan First Stage Booster

The moon may be 100 million years older than we thought (Space.com)

9-Hour spacewalk beats old duration record by 10 minutes

Space-Related Birthdays

Andy Thomas? Dec 18, 1951 STS-77, STS-89/91 (Mir EO-24/EO-25), STS-102, STS-114?

Frederick W. Leslie Dec 19, 1951 STS-73

Michael E. Fossum Dec 19, 1957 STS-121, STS-124, Soyuz TMA-02M (Expedition 28/29)

Millie Hughes-Fulford? Dec 21, 1945 STS-40

John L. Finley Dec 22, 1935 no missions, USAF MOL Group 1

Karol J. Bobko Dec 23, 1937 STS-6, STS-51-D, STS-51-J

This Week in Space History

December 15, 1965: Gemini VI-A launched with astronauts Wally Schirra and Tom Stafford.?

Apollo 17 landing, December 19, 1972

December 21, 1968 – Apollo 8 launch

Apollo 8 (December 21–27, 1968) was the first crewed spacecraft to leave low Earth orbit and the first human spaceflight to reach the Moon.?

Space Launches For This Week

Space Flight Now Launch Schedule

December 23 Falcon 9 ? Starlink 12-2

Launch time: Window opens at 12 a.m. EST (0500 UTC)

Launch site: Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch another batch of Starlink V2 Mini satellites to low Earth orbit. A little more than eight minutes after liftoff, the first stage booster will land on a droneship positioned in the Atlantic Ocean.

Updated: December 19

TBD New Glenn ? NG-1

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: Launch Complex 36, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket will launch the company’s Blue Ring spacecraft, which is capable of both hosting and deploying multiple payloads. Blue Origin will attempt to land the first stage booster on its sea-based landing platform, ‘Jacklyn.’

Updated: November 20

NET Spring 2025 New Glenn ? EscaPADE

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: Launch Complex 36, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket will launch a pair of identical spacecraft on NASA’s Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (EscaPADE) mission. The two satellites, named Blue and Gold, will make a roughly 11-month journey to Mars where they will then perform about an 11-month science mission while orbiting the Red Planet. Blue and Gold were manufactured by Rocket Lab over about 3.5 years and carry science experiments from the University of California, Berkeley. This launch of the New Glenn rocket will also feature a landing attempt on its landing barge in the Atlantic Ocean. Delayed from October 13.

Updated: September 11

TBD 2025 Vulcan Centaur ? Dream Chaser 1

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

A United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur rocket will launch on its second demonstration flight with Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser cargo vehicle for the International Space Station. The Dream Chaser is a lifting body resupply spacecraft that will launch on top of a rocket and land on a runway. This will be the Dream Chaser’s first flight to space. The Vulcan Centaur rocket will fly in the VC4L configuration with four GEM-63XL solid rocket boosters, a long-length payload fairing, and two RL10 engines on the Centaur upper stage. Delayed from August 2022, December 2023, January 2024,? April 2024 and September 2024.

Updated: October 17

We currently have the following people checked in via w5fc.org…? You can check-in via the club website by clicking on the hotlink provided.??

(Read check ins so far)

I’ll now take check-ins or comments

At this point we should be reaching our 90 minute cut-off point, so NCS can decide whether to cut any of these topics due to lack of time.

??

Visible satellite passages over the next couple of days.

All times are “local” (Dallas) time.

ISS - No favorable Passes

Tiangong

Dec. 28

SKYNET!!!!? 9PM CT - 10:30 PM CT

?

Saturday’s Topic: “NASA’s Moon Treaty” & Constellations: “Pisces the Fishes” and “Cetus the Sea Monster”

?

Net Control: Virginia NV5F

?

Afterglow Movie 10:30PM: “World War Z” (2013)

2-Meter Repeater W5FC: 146.880MHz, PL 110.9, -

Echolink: W5FC-R, node 37247.

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Youtube.com Search “DARC Skynet”

Facebook.com Search “DARC Skynet”

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IO Group:/g/DARCskynet/topics

Facebook Group:

Saturday’s DARC SkyNet is at 9PM CT.

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Discussion Topic of the Evening.

Enter Topic Here

Recent Astronomical Discoveries?

Mars' infamous dust storms can engulf the entire planet: A new study examines how

Mars Flicker Image

Discussion Topic of the Evening.

NASA’s Moon Treaty

?

Filming 2001

Outer Space Treaty Signing

Space Treaty Timeline

?

Hague Building Blocks Committee

Signatories of the Moon Treaty of 1979

Waz Up

Space Exploration and Space History?

Space Exploration News

12-8 thru 12-14

SpaceX rolls 7th Starship spacecraft out for testing ahead of next launch?

NASA’s Perseverance Rover Reaches Top of Jezero Crater Rim

Space-Related Birthdays

December 11, 1975: Francisco Rubio (Exp. 67/68, currently on ISS; launched 9/21)

December 12, 1951: Steven Hawley (STS-41-D, STS-61-C, STS-31, STS-82, STS-93)

December 12, 1964: Kenneth Ham (STS-124, STS-132)

December 14, 1936: Robert Parker (STS-9, STS-35)

December 14, 1960: Cady Coleman, KC5ZTH (STS-73, STS-93, Exp 26/27))

This Week in Space History

Christmas Music in Space.

December 11:

Artemis I

2022: Artemis I was launched from Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center Nov. 16th 2022.

1972: 50 years ago, the Apollo 17 Lunar Module 'Challenger' touched down on the lunar surface, making the last human Moon landing to date.?

December 12:

1961: The first Oscar Phase I amateur satellite was launched piggyback with Discover 36.?

December 13:

1993: Space Shuttle Endeavour landed after completing STS-61--the first Hubble Space Telescope repair mission.?

December 14:

2009: The Wide Field Infrared Explorer (or WISE) astronomy satellite launched.

Miss Carolyn’s Constellation of the Week

Pisces the Fishes and Cetus the Sea Monster

Space Launches For This Week

Space Flight Now Launch Schedule

NET December 15/16 Falcon 9 ? RRT-1

Launch time: Approx. 7:54 p.m. EST (1254 UTC on 16th)

Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the RRT-1 mission for the U.S. Space Force. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on the drone ship ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’ in the Atlantic Ocean. Delayed from Dec. 13.

Updated: December 14

December 16 Falcon 9 ? O3b mPOWER 7&8

Launch time: Window opens at 3:58 p.m. EST (2058 UTC)

Launch site: Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the fourth pair of O3b mPOWER satellites to a medium Earth orbit on behalf of Luxembourg-based SES. A little more than eight minutes after liftoff, the first stage booster will land on a droneship positioned in the Atlantic Ocean. Delayed from Dec. 12, 13 & 15.

Updated: December 14

NET December 17/18 Electron ? ‘Owl the Way Up’

Launch time: Window 3:00-4:15 a.m. NZT (9:00-10:15 a.m. EST, 1400-1515 UTC)

Launch site: Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

A Rocket Lab Electron rocket will launch a StriX satellite for Synspective, a Japanese Earth observation company to continue building out its synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite constellation. This will be the sixth launch out of 16 booked on Electron for Synspective.

Updated: December 06

TBD New Glenn ? NG-1

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: Launch Complex 36, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket will launch the company’s Blue Ring spacecraft, which is capable of both hosting and deploying multiple payloads. Blue Origin will attempt to land the first stage booster on its sea-based landing platform, ‘Jacklyn.’

Updated: November 20

NET Spring 2025 New Glenn ? EscaPADE

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: Launch Complex 36, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket will launch a pair of identical spacecraft on NASA’s Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (EscaPADE) mission. The two satellites, named Blue and Gold, will make a roughly 11-month journey to Mars where they will then perform about an 11-month science mission while orbiting the Red Planet. Blue and Gold were manufactured by Rocket Lab over about 3.5 years and carry science experiments from the University of California, Berkeley. This launch of the New Glenn rocket will also feature a landing attempt on its landing barge in the Atlantic Ocean. Delayed from October 13.

Updated: September 11

TBD 2025 Vulcan Centaur ? Dream Chaser 1

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

A United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur rocket will launch on its second demonstration flight with Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser cargo vehicle for the International Space Station. The Dream Chaser is a lifting body resupply spacecraft that will launch on top of a rocket and land on a runway. This will be the Dream Chaser’s first flight to space. The Vulcan Centaur rocket will fly in the VC4L configuration with four GEM-63XL solid rocket boosters, a long-length payload fairing, and two RL10 engines on the Centaur upper stage. Delayed from August 2022, December 2023, January 2024,? April 2024 and September 2024.

Updated: October 17

Visible satellite passages over the next couple of days.

You can use the website to find out what’s in orbit and

where to look during fly-overs

??

All times are “local” (Dallas) time.

ISS

Dec. 14

Dec. 15

Dec. 17

Tiangong

Dec. 15

Dec. 17

Dec. 18

Dec. 19

SKYNET!!!!? 9PM CT - 10:30 PM CT

?

Saturday’s Topic: “Lightning on Earth Knocks ‘Killer Electrons’ Loose in Orbit” & Constellations “Aries, the Ram” and “Triangulum, the Triangle”.

Electronic Check Ins:

??

Net Control: Bill N5BB

?

Afterglow Movie 10:30PM: “The Transatlantic Tunnel” (1935)

2-Meter Repeater W5FC: 146.880MHz, PL 110.9, -

Echolink: W5FC-R, node 37247.

?

Youtube.com Search “DARC Skynet”

Facebook.com Search “DARC Skynet”

?

Direct Video Link:

?

IO Group:/g/DARCskynet/topics

Facebook Group:

Saturday’s DARC SkyNet is at 9PM CT.

?

Discussion Topic of the Evening.

Enter Topic Here

Recent Astronomical Discoveries?

Astronomers close to solving mystery of how universe's giant galaxies formed |?

Discussion Topic of the Evening.

Lightning on Earth Knocks ‘Killer Electrons’ Loose in Orbit

Visualization showing how magnetic field lines, thin cyan lines, circling Earth can trap charged particles, thin yellow lines.

Atmospheric effects and signatures of high-energy electron precipitation

Waz Up

Space Exploration and Space History?

Space Exploration News

Galaxy Lights

If you are looking for a fun trip these holidays, consider Galaxy Lights at Space Center Houston.?

NASA delays Artemis moon missions once again

Neuraspace installs second telescope to enhance space traffic monitoring

Space-Related Birthdays

Terry W. Virts Dec 1, 1967?

STS-130

Soyuz TMA-15M (Expedition 42/43)

Steven Swanson Dec 3, 1960?

STS-117

STS-119

Soyuz TMA-12M (Expedition 39/40)

Ronald M. Sega Dec 4, 1952?

STS-60

STS-76

Bruce E. Melnick Dec 5, 1949 STS-41

STS-49?

Robb Kulin Dec 7, 1983 No flights

Matthew Dominick Dec 7, 1981?

SpaceX Crew-8 (Expedition 70/71/72)

This Week in Space History

December 4

On this day in space history, two big launches - Gemini 7 launched aboard a Titan II in 1965, while STS-88 Endeavour launched in 1998.

On December 4, 1978, the Pioneer Venus Orbiter entered an elliptical orbit around the mysterious, clouded planet. Its radar altimeter allowed the spacecraft to map much of Venus' surface?

Miss Carolyn’s Constellation of the Week

Constellations “Aries, the Ram” and “Triangulum, the Triangle”.

Space Launches For This Week

Space Flight Now Launch Schedule

December 8 Falcon 9 ? Starlink 12-5

Launch time: Window opens at 12:10 a.m. EST (0510 UTC)

Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch another batch of Starlink V2 Mini satellites to low Earth obit. A little more than eight minutes after liftoff, the booster will land on a droneship in the Atlantic Ocean.

Updated: December 05

December 12 Falcon 9 ? O3b mPOWER 7&8

Launch time: Window opens at 3:55 p.m. EST (2055 UTC)

Launch site: Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the fourth pair of O3b mPOWER satellites to a medium Earth orbit on behalf of Luxembourg-based SES. A little more than eight minutes after liftoff, the first stage booster will land on a droneship positioned in the Atlantic Ocean.

Updated: December 06

NET December 17/18 Electron ? ‘Owl the Way Up’

Launch time: Window 3:00-4:15 a.m. NZT (9:00-10:15 a.m. EST, 1400-1515 UTC)

Launch site: Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

A Rocket Lab Electron rocket will launch a StriX satellite for Synspective, a Japanese Earth observation company to continue building out its synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite constellation. This will be the sixth launch out of 16 booked on Electron for Synspective.

Updated: December 06

TBD New Glenn ? NG-1

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: Launch Complex 36, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket will launch the company’s Blue Ring spacecraft, which is capable of both hosting and deploying multiple payloads. Blue Origin will attempt to land the first stage booster on its sea-based landing platform, ‘Jacklyn.’

Updated: November 20

NET Spring 2025 New Glenn ? EscaPADE

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: Launch Complex 36, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket will launch a pair of identical spacecraft on NASA’s Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (EscaPADE) mission. The two satellites, named Blue and Gold, will make a roughly 11-month journey to Mars where they will then perform about an 11-month science mission while orbiting the Red Planet. Blue and Gold were manufactured by Rocket Lab over about 3.5 years and carry science experiments from the University of California, Berkeley. This launch of the New Glenn rocket will also feature a landing attempt on its landing barge in the Atlantic Ocean. Delayed from October 13.

Updated: September 11

TBD 2025 Vulcan Centaur ? Dream Chaser 1

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

A United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur rocket will launch on its second demonstration flight with Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser cargo vehicle for the International Space Station. The Dream Chaser is a lifting body resupply spacecraft that will launch on top of a rocket and land on a runway. This will be the Dream Chaser’s first flight to space. The Vulcan Centaur rocket will fly in the VC4L configuration with four GEM-63XL solid rocket boosters, a long-length payload fairing, and two RL10 engines on the Centaur upper stage. Delayed from August 2022, December 2023, January 2024,? April 2024 and September 2024.

Visible satellite passages over the next couple of days.

You can use the website to find out what’s in orbit and

where to look during fly-overs

?

All times are “local” (Dallas) time.

ISS

Dec 11

Dec 13

Dec 14

Dec 15

Tiangong

Dec 9

Dec 11

Dec 12

Dec 14

Dec 15

Dec 16

SKYNET!!!!? 9PM CT - 10:30 PM CT

?

Saturday’s Topic: “The Solar Sunspot Cycle” & “Andromeda, the Princess”?

?

Net Control: Chaz KF5JHA

?

Afterglow Movie 10:30PM: “Robot Monster” (1952)

2-Meter Repeater W5FC: 146.880MHz, PL 110.9, -

Echolink: W5FC-R, node 37247.

?

Youtube.com Search “DARC Skynet”

Facebook.com Search “DARC Skynet”

?

Direct Video Link:

?

IO Group:/g/DARCskynet/topics

Facebook Group:

Saturday’s DARC SkyNet is at 9PM CT.

?

Discussion Topic of the Evening.

Enter Topic Here

Enter NCS Name and Call Here

Discussion Topic of the Evening.

The Solar sunspot cycle

Recent Astronomical Discoveries?

Astronomers may have discovered the answer to a mysterious stellar event | ScienceDaily?

Waz Up

Space Exploration and Space History?

11-24 ~ 11-30

Space Exploration News

Goodnight moon! Astronomers snap photo of Earth's departing mini-moon

Warm up this holiday season with NASA's new SLS rocket engine fireplace (video)

Space-Related Birthdays

Richard R. Arnold? Nov 26, 1963 STS-119, Soyuz MS-08 (Expedition 55/56)

James Wetherbee Nov 27, 1952 STS-32, STS-52, STS-63, STS-86, STS-102, STS-113

Kenneth Camera Nov 29 STS-37, STS-56, STS-74

This Week in Space History

Skylab 4

Nov. 22, 1973 -The first #Thanksgiving in space happened. Skylab 4 astronauts Gerald Carr, Edward Gibson, and William Pogue celebrated after a grueling 6.5 hour spacewalk!?

November 24

1639 1st observation of transit of Venus by Jeremiah Horrocks and William Crabtree - helped establish size of the Solar System

Venus was the first planet to be explored by a spacecraft - NASA's Mariner 2 successfully flew by and scanned the cloud-covered world on Dec. 14, 1962. Since then, numerous spacecraft from the U.S. and other space agencies have explored Venus, including NASA's Magellan, which mapped the planet's surface with radar.?

Spacecraft Picture of Venus

Apollo 12

On November 24, 1969, Apollo 12 splashed down at 2:58 p.m. (CST) near American Samoa in the Pacific Ocean.?

DART, Launched November 24, 2021

Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) was a NASA space mission aimed at testing a method of planetary defense against near-Earth objects (NEOs).

Aerobee launch, November 24, 1947

The Aerobee was an early sounding rocket that was essentially a larger, upgraded version of the WAC Corporal.?

November 26, 2018, the NASA’s InSight mission landed on Mars. It was the first robotic explorer to study the “inner space” of Mars: its crust, mantle, and core.?

Insight Checkout Before Launch

November 26, 2011, Mars Curiosity launched! Curiosity landed in August 2012 for its mission to study the ancient habitability and the potential for life on the Red Planet.?

Curiosity Selfie

Apollo 12 splashed down in the Pacific Ocean November 24 in 1969 marking the end of Al Bean, Pete Conrad, and Dick Gordon's 10-day journey to the Moon and back.?

Apollo 12 Splashdown

November 28:

1659: Dutch mathematician and astronomer Christiaan Huygens saw a dark region on Mars (Syrtis Major) - the first Martian surface feature spotted from Earth. Syrtis Major is a volcanic plain on Mars; Huygens observed it through his telescope and made a drawing of it.

1963: Just six days after President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, President Lyndon B. Johnson announced that NASA's Launch Operations Center would be renamed the John F. Kennedy Space Center in honor of the late president. This center on Merritt Island, Florida has served as the launch place for some of NASA’s most defining flights, including the Skylab orbital workshop, Apollo 11, all of the Shuttle launches, and most recently, the Artemis I launch.

November 29:

1961: Astronaut John Glenn was selected to be the first American sent into Earth orbit (Scott Carpenter was named as the back-up.)?

Miss Carolyn’s Constellation of the Week

Andromeda, the princess

Space Launches For This Week

Space Flight Now Launch Schedule

December 2 Falcon 9 ? SiriusXM-9

Launch time: Approx. 11 a.m. EST (1600 UTC)

Launch site: TBD – LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center or SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

A SpaceX Falcon 9 will launch the SiriusXM-9 satellite, which will deliver radio services for the SiriusXM service. The satellite, which will eventually be positioned in a geostationary orbit, is based on Maxar’s 1300-class platform. The first-stage booster of the Falcon 9 is scheduled to land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.

Updated: November 20

TBD New Glenn ? NG-1

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: Launch Complex 36, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket will launch the company’s Blue Ring spacecraft, which is capable of both hosting and deploying multiple payloads. Blue Origin will attempt to land the first stage booster on its sea-based landing platform, ‘Jacklyn.’

Updated: November 20

NET Spring 2025 New Glenn ? EscaPADE

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: Launch Complex 36, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket will launch a pair of identical spacecraft on NASA’s Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (EscaPADE) mission. The two satellites, named Blue and Gold, will make a roughly 11-month journey to Mars where they will then perform about an 11-month science mission while orbiting the Red Planet. Blue and Gold were manufactured by Rocket Lab over about 3.5 years and carry science experiments from the University of California, Berkeley. This launch of the New Glenn rocket will also feature a landing attempt on its landing barge in the Atlantic Ocean. Delayed from October 13.

Updated: September 11

TBD 2025 Vulcan Centaur ? Dream Chaser 1

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

A United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur rocket will launch on its second demonstration flight with Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser cargo vehicle for the International Space Station. The Dream Chaser is a lifting body resupply spacecraft that will launch on top of a rocket and land on a runway. This will be the Dream Chaser’s first flight to space. The Vulcan Centaur rocket will fly in the VC4L configuration with four GEM-63XL solid rocket boosters, a long-length payload fairing, and two RL10 engines on the Centaur upper stage. Delayed from August 2022, December 2023, January 2024,? April 2024 and September 2024.

Visible satellite passages over the next couple of days.?

All times are “local” (Dallas) time.

ISS

Dec. 1

Dec. 2

Dec. 3

Dec. 4

Dec.5

Tiangong

Dec. 4

???