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HP2DFA > AMSAT 18.09.26 16:35l 71 Lines 4764 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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Subj: Satellite Shorts from All Over SEP07
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Sent: 260918/1417Z 2135@HP2DFA.#COL.PAN.CEAM BPQ6.0.24
Satellite Shorts from All Over
NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launched Sunday, August 30, aboard=
a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The obser=
vatory is now beginning a three-month, roughly one-million-mile journey to th=
e Sun-Earth L2 Lagrange point, where it will conduct wide-field infrared surv=
eys of the universe. Roman will investigate dark matter, dark energy, and exo=
planets using its 300-megapixel Wide Field Instrument and a technology-demons=
tration coronagraph capable of directly imaging Jupiter-like planets. Control=
lers established contact with the spacecraft shortly after launch, and its so=
lar arrays and lower instrument sunshade deployed successfully during the ope=
ning hours of the mission. Additional deployments, course corrections, and in=
strument checkouts will continue during the journey to L2, followed by severa=
l months of commissioning and calibration. NASA expects Roman's first images =
in early 2027, beginning a mission designed to survey the universe up to 1,00=
0 times faster than the Hubble Space Telescope. (ANS thanks SciTechDaily<http=
s://scitechdaily.com/> for the above information)
NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory has resumed science observations afte=
r plans to boost the spacecraft into a higher orbit were abandoned. Swift's U=
ltraviolet/Optical Telescope and X-ray Telescope returned to operation on Aug=
ust 26, while its Burst Alert Telescope is expected to resume observations in=
the coming weeks. Katalyst Space's LINK spacecraft launched July 3 with plan=
s to rendezvous with, capture, and raise Swift's orbit, but attitude-control =
problems prevented the boost attempt from proceeding. LINK may still rendezvo=
us with Swift to demonstrate proximity operations and other technologies for =
future satellite servicing missions. Launched in 2004 to study gamma-ray burs=
ts and other transient astronomical events, Swift has remained operational fa=
r beyond its original two-year prime mission. With increased atmospheric drag=
from recent solar activity accelerating the decay of Swift's low Earth orbit=
, NASA expects the observatory to reenter Earth's atmosphere later this year.=
(ANS thanks NASA<https://www.nasa.gov/> for the above information)
Europe's second Meteosat Third Generation Imager satellite, MTG-I2, was lau=
nched aboard an Ariane 6 rocket from French Guiana on August 27. The satellit=
e completes the first three-spacecraft family of Europe's new Meteosat Third =
Generation weather satellite system. Once commissioned in geostationary orbit=
, MTG-I2 will provide rapid weather imagery over Europe and northern Africa, =
with new observations available every 2.5 minutes. Its instruments include th=
e Flexible Combined Imager and Lightning Imager, allowing forecasters to foll=
ow rapidly developing storms and detect lightning during both day and night. =
Data from the satellite will also support wildfire monitoring, atmospheric po=
llution tracking, climate research, and improved early warnings for severe we=
ather. MTG-I2 joins the first MTG Imager launched in 2022 and the MTG Sounder=
launched last year, allowing the new generation of Meteosat satellites to be=
gin operating at full capacity. (ANS thanks ESA<https://www.esa.int/> for the=
above information)
SpaceMD, a subsidiary of Redwire Corporation, has signed an agreement to fl=
y a commercial pharmaceutical research mission aboard SpaceX's new Starfall s=
pacecraft in 2028. Starfall is an uncrewed reentry vehicle designed to provid=
e routine access to microgravity for research, manufacturing, and testing, wi=
th experiments and other payloads returned to Earth after their time in orbit=
. SpaceX conducted the first demonstration flight of Starfall in June 2026, l=
aunching the spacecraft aboard a Falcon 9 rocket and testing technology inten=
ded for future return missions. SpaceMD plans to fly as many as 32 of its Pha=
rmaceutical In-Space Laboratory, or PIL-BOX, systems on the 2028 mission, whi=
ch the company says would make it the largest dedicated commercial microgravi=
ty research mission to date. The PIL-BOX systems allow researchers to crystal=
lize pharmaceutical compounds in microgravity, where conditions can produce c=
rystals useful in developing improved drug formulations and new therapies. Si=
nce November 2023, 54 PIL-BOX systems have flown to the International Space S=
tation and have been used to crystallize 45 compounds, including insulin and =
molecules targeting cancer, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes. (A=
NS thanks Redwire<https://rdw.com/> for the above information)
73 de Omar HP2DFA from Colon Panama.
PMAIL: HP2DFA@HP2DFA.COL.PAN.CEAM
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