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WG3K > ANS 28.07.24 18:59l 11 Lines 5091 Bytes #127 (0) @ AMSAT
BID : ANS210.9
Read: GUEST
Subj: Satellite Shorts From All Over
Path: IZ3LSV<DB0ERF<DK0WUE<DK0WUE<VK5RSV<VK2RZ<KC9UHI<KA1VSC<WG3K
Sent: 240728/1657Z 6647@WG3K.#SMD.MD.USA.NOAM LinBPQ6.0.24
+ ASRTU-1 is a 12U CubeSat mission developed by students from the Harbin Institute of Technology and Bauman State Technical University. It is designed for educational purposes and features an amateur radio SDR payload. The satellite will offer telecommand uplink and telemetry/digital image downlink capabilities. Harbin Institute of Technology, known for developing successful amateur radio satellites like LilacSat-2 and DSLWP-B, has created a new SDR-based transceiver for ASRTU-1. This transceiver will provide communication resources, including a V/U FM transponder, UHF telemetry downlink, and a 10.5G image downlink. Scheduled to launch from Vostochny Cosmodrome on November 2024, ASRTU-1 will operate in a 530km sun-synchronous orbit with coordinated downlinks on 436.210 MHz, 435.400 MHz, and 10460.00 MHz and a repeater uplink on 145.875 MHz. (ANS thanks @AKAhamradiohttps://x.com/AKAhamradio, X.comhttps://x.com/, for the above information)
+ SpaceX successfully test-fired the engines on its Super Heavy booster on July 15, 2024, in preparation for the fifth integrated flight test (IFT-5) of its Starship vehicle. This upcoming launch, expected in August, will be the most ambitious to date and aims to build on the success of previous flights. The Super Heavy booster, measuring 233 feet tall, fired its 33 Raptor engines at full thrust for about 20 seconds during the static test at SpaceX's Starbase facility in Texas. Starship, which has been selected by NASA for the Artemis 3 lunar mission, is designed as a fully reusable system capable of carrying humans to Mars. Unlike SpaceX's Falcon 9, the Super Heavy booster is intended to return directly to its launch pad, where it will be caught midair by the launch tower's "chopstick" arms. With each test flight achieving progressively more, SpaceX aims to test the booster catch system in the upcoming launch, marking a significant advance towards rapid reusability and future missions. (ANS thanks Josh Dinner, Space.comhttps://www.space.com/, for the above information)
+ The 188,000-pound, 212-foot-tall core stage for the Artemis-2 moon mission has arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) following a 900-mile journey from Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. This milestone marks a significant step in preparing for the Artemis-2 mission, which aims to return humans to the moon for the first time in over fifty years. NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen are slated to launch on this mission as early as September 2025. Upon arrival at KSC, the core stage was transferred to a self-propelled transporter and moved into the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). Engineers will soon begin processing the stage for stacking operations, involving the integration of the twin Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) and the spacecraft. The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket's twin boosters and the core stage's four RS-25 engines will generate nearly 9 million pounds of thrust at liftoff, propelling Artemis-2 and its crew to the moon. (ANS thanks Mike Killian, AmericaSpace.comhttps://www.americaspace.com/, for the above information)
+ NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams will remain at the International Space Station (ISS) with no set return date due to ongoing technical issues with Boeing's Starliner capsule. The astronauts departed for the ISS in early June on a test mission expected to last about a week, but faulty thrusters and helium leaks have delayed their return. Despite some thrusters now functioning normally and the leaks being stable, NASA and Boeing are still not ready to schedule their departure. NASA assures that the astronauts are not stranded and the technical issues do not pose a threat to the mission. Engineers are conducting tests, including on a spare thruster in New Mexico, to understand and resolve the problems. Steve Stich, NASA's commercial crew program manager, emphasized the priority of the astronauts' safety and the consideration of backup return options. (ANS thanks Anna Betts, The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/, for the above information)
+ SpaceX is set to resume Falcon 9 launches as early as July 27 following the completion of an investigation into an upper stage anomaly from the July 11 launch. The mishap, which resulted in the rocket's upper stage failing to perform a second burn and stranding Starlink satellites in a low orbit, was attributed to a liquid oxygen leak caused by a cracked sense line. This crack was due to engine vibration fatigue and a loose clamp. The resulting leak led to ice buildup and excessive cooling of engine components, causing a hard start and subsequent damage to the engine hardware. SpaceX has implemented immediate fixes and proposed long-term solutions, and the FAA has determined that there are no public safety issues, allowing launches to proceed. SpaceX is targeting July 27 for the next launch, with two more launches tentatively scheduled for July 28. (ANS thanks Jeff Foust, SpaceNewshttps://spacenews.com/, for the above information)
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