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WG3K > ANS 20.10.24 18:53l 9 Lines 3694 Bytes #118 (0) @ AMSAT
BID : ANS294.10
Read: GUEST
Subj: Satellite Shorts From All Over
Path: IZ3LSV<I0OJJ<GB7CIP<VK2RZ<W0ARP<K7EK<KA1VSC<WG3K
Sent: 241020/1749Z 9341@WG3K.#SMD.MD.USA.NOAM LinBPQ6.0.24
+ On October 4, United Launch Alliance (ULA) successfully launched its second Vulcan rocket, despite one of the solid-propellant strap-on boosters encountering an anomaly 37 seconds after liftoff. The booster emitted sparks and debris, but the rocket continued its ascent and reached orbit. This mission is part of the certification process for the Vulcan rocket, which will soon carry national security payloads for the U.S. Space Force and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). ULA included a dummy payload and technology experiments to gather data and validate the rocket's performance. The booster issue is under investigation, but the key mission objectives were met, according to ULA CEO Tory Bruno. The Vulcan rocket, powered by Blue Origin's BE-4 engines, will replace ULA's Delta 4 and Atlas 5 rockets, positioning the company for future success in the competitive space market. (ANS thanks Spaceflight Nowhttps://spaceflightnow.com/ for the above information)
+ Four astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) are awaiting their return as mission managers monitor unfavorable weather conditions off the coast of Florida. The Crew-8 mission, which includes NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Mike Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, is nearing its conclusion after seven months in space. While they prepare for their journey home, the crew spent the week relaxing and engaging in pre-departure activities. A weather briefing occurred on Wednesday, October 16, at 11 a.m. EDT, assessing conditions for their splashdown. Mission managers are now targeting a new undocking time of no earlier than 3:05 a.m. EDT on Sunday, October 20. (ANS thanks SciTechDailyhttps://scitechdaily.com/ for the above information)
+ The FAA authorized SpaceX to resume Falcon 9 flights on October 11, following a suspension caused by an upper stage anomaly during the Crew-9 mission on September 28. The anomaly occurred when the Merlin engine burned 500 milliseconds longer than planned, resulting in reentry outside its designated zone. SpaceX conducted an investigation, and the FAA approved their corrective actions, though neither disclosed specific details of the findings. A special exception had been made for the European Space Agency's Hera mission on October 7, as it posed no public safety risk. With the issue resolved, Falcon 9 operations fully resumed on October 15. SpaceX marked its return with a double Starlink mission, launching from both Vandenberg and Cape Canaveral on the same day. (ANS thanks SpaceNewshttps://spacenews.com/ for the above information)
+ Following Hurricane Helene, T-Mobile and Starlink activated their satellite texting service in preparation for Hurricane Milton to ensure Florida residents could stay connected despite potential cellular outages. After the Federal Communications Commission granted emergency approval, the service enabled T-Mobile users to send and receive basic texts, including 911 messages, even if the network went down. Starlink's Direct to Cell satellites were also employed to send emergency alerts to all phones and carriers in the affected areas. Users could determine if their phone connected to a Starlink satellite by the presence of one to two bars of signal and the network name displaying "T-Mobile SpaceX." The satellite service worked best outdoors or near windows, although users sometimes had to retry sending messages if they didn't go through on the first attempt. SpaceX has also delivered over 10,000 Starlink kits in response to Hurricane Helene, as part of ongoing recovery efforts. (ANS thanks Engadgethttps://www.engadget.com/ for the above information)
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