A “zombie satellite” orbiting earth since 1967 when it was launched by the U.S. military, has been discovered by a radio enthusiast.
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The U.N.’s Online Index of Objects Launched Into Outer Space, lists LES-5 as being in geosynchronous orbit.
LES-5 launched on July 1, 1967, according to NASA. Built by MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory, the satellite was part of the Department of Defense’s Tri-Service Program 591.
Other things to check out:
Want to put a satellite into orbit for US comms?
Satellite communications companies beaming signals to and from America will need to convince the nation's comms watchdog that any new sats put into orbit won't collide with others and spam space with debris.
On Thursday, the FCC announced new rules that tackle the growing threat of orbital debris polluting space around Earth. "Since 2004, when the rules were last updated, there have been significant changes in satellite technologies and market conditions, particularly in the low earth orbit region of space," the regulator stated.
Supermassive Black Hole Orbits an Even More Massive Black Hole, Crashing Through its Accretion
NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope may be retired, but the things it witnessed during its sixteen and a half year mission will be the subject of study for many years to come. For instance, Spitzer is the only telescope to witness something truly astounding occurring at the center of the distant galaxy OJ 287: a supermassive black hole (SMBH) orbited by another black hole that regularly passes through its accretion disk.
Whenever this happens, it causes a flash that is brighter than all the stars in the Milky Way combined. Using Spitzer ‘s observations, an international team of astronomers was able to finally create a model that accurately predicts the timing of these flashes and the orbit of the smaller black hole. In addition to demonstrating General Relativity in action, their findings also provide validation to Stephen Hawking ‘s “ no-hair theorem .”
It seems like humans really are going to launch into orbit from America again | Ars Technica
Officials from NASA and SpaceX spoke at a series of briefings on Friday to preview the upcoming flight of a Crew Dragon spacecraft from Kennedy Space Center.
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the discussions was, after nine years since the space shuttle's retirement, how very close astronauts really are to launching from Florida again into orbit. So far, everything remains on track for a May 27 launch to the International Space Station on a Falcon 9 rocket.
In case you are keeping track:
NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 30 April, 2020 - Free-flying Robots - SpaceRef
The New York/New Jersey metropolitan area is pictured from the International Space Station as it orbited above the Atlantic Ocean just off the northeast coast of the United States. Credit: NASA. (Apr. 28, 2020)
Free-flying robots and heart research filled the science schedule aboard the International Space Station today.
The Expedition 63 crew also managed cargo activities in a pair of resupply ships and cleaned biology research gear.
Virgin Orbit ventilators granted emergency use authorization | Aerotech News & Review
Guided by the medical expertise and clinical experience of the Bridge Ventilator Consortium — a group of doctors, medical researchers, and medical device engineers collaborating to advise multiple different low-cost ventilator efforts — Virgin Orbit has leveraged its extensive engineering design, manufacturing, and operational capabilities to quickly design a novel ventilator, test prototype units, and ramp up production of these devices.
The Virgin Orbit Ventilator is in essence a very simple, very reliable, mechanical device designed to automate common manual resuscitators (also known as bag valve masks, and often referred to colloquially by the proprietary name "Ambu-bag").
NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 29 April, 2020 - Spacesuits and Cardiac Research Today -
NASA astronaut and Expedition 63 Commander Chris Cassidy sets up hardware that measures pulmonary function while using the station's exercise bike, also known as the Cycle Ergometer with Vibration Isolation and Stabilization (CEVIS), located in the U.S. Destiny laboratory module. Credit: NASA. (Apr. 24, 2020)
The three-member Expedition 63 crew aboard the International Space Station focused its attention on spacesuits and cardiac research today.
Commander Chris Cassidy worked on a pair of U.S. spacesuits in the Quest airlock today cleaning cooling loops, replacing components and checking for leaks. NASA is planning a series of spacewalks later this year to upgrade power and science systems on the orbiting lab.
SpaceX successfully launches latest batch of 60 internet-beaming satellites to orbit - The Verge
With such a massive constellation in orbit, SpaceX hopes to eventually provide global internet coverage from space. Once enough satellites have been launched, the company plans to sell user terminals to customers that will allow them to patch into the satellite network. As of now, the plan is to roll out partial coverage to Canada and the northern United States sometime this year, with global coverage potentially becoming available in 2021.
That means a lot of eyes will be on this mission to make sure it goes well — and it won't just be SpaceX paying attention. The company is just over a month away from launching its first astronauts to space on the Falcon 9 rocket for NASA. The space agency has been working with SpaceX to investigate the March engine failure to make sure it's not a major problem before people ride on the rocket.
Happening on Twitter
For folks rightly wondering if we can trust the NK state media photos: they rare fake this. It's too easy to spot.… https://t.co/l1fVJplCC7 martyn_williams (from Washington, DC) Fri May 01 23:49:34 +0000 2020
A train likely belonging to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been spotted at a resort town in the country's east… https://t.co/k8PMnGAmmX AFP (from France) Sun Apr 26 03:10:44 +0000 2020
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's health has been a mystery, but satellite images showed his train apparently trave… https://t.co/yVow7xh7Ik boston25 (from Boston, MA) Sun Apr 26 17:30:00 +0000 2020
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