A report warns that fleets of new communication satellites in low-Earth orbit will spoil some astronomical observations, even if all known mitigation strategies are taken.
Astronomers and the operators of new, thousands-strong constellations of low-orbiting satellites will have to work together to prevent them from having a devastating impact on ground-based observations of planets, stars, and other celestial objects, says a report released today. Even then, there is no escaping some harm from the fleets of commercial orbiters.
Other things to check out:
Delta 4-Heavy likely heading for geosynchronous orbit with top secret payload – Spaceflight
The top secret intelligence-gathering payload for the U.S. government set for launch on top of a Delta 4-Heavy rocket is likely the next in a line of sensitive eavesdropping satellites designed to intercept radio signals and other communications traffic from adversaries around the world.
The 235-foot-tall (71.6-meter) rocket will arc toward the east from Cape Canaveral following a liftoff from pad 37B set for 2:12 a.m. EDT (0612 GMT) Thursday, according to standard pre-launch warning notices released to pilots and mariners to help them steer clear of downrange drop zones under the Delta 4-Heavy’s flight path.
Bad Astronomy | Two of Neptune's moons orbit in a way to keep each other at a distance
Neptune is an interesting planet. And that's a little irritating, because it's so far away that it's really hard to observe it in detail. It's 30 times farther from the Sun than Earth, which means it gets only 1/900th as much light as we do (and then it reflects that light and sends it back to us, dimming it further). Studying its moons is even harder because they're so much smaller and subsequently fainter.
But, despite that, some astronomers wanted to investigate the moons to see what they could figure out about their orbits. That can sometimes tell you a lot about the history of the moons ( like it did for Neptune's moon Hippocamp ).
Station Crew Re-Enters U.S On-Orbit Segments, Mission Control Preps for Storm – Space
The Expedition 63 crew ended its stay isolated in the Russian segment of the International Space Station this morning after an extended leak test. Mission Control also deployed remote teams to maintain 24/7 support for the station and its crew as Hurricane Laura approaches the Texas Gulf Coast.
Mission control will study the test data this week in an effort to determine the source of a cabin air leak detected in September of 2019. The rate is still well within segment specifications and presents no danger to the crew or the space station. The station's atmosphere is maintained at a pressure comfortable for the crew members, and a tiny bit of that air leaks over time, requiring routine repressurization from nitrogen tanks delivered on cargo resupply missions.
Quite a lot has been going on:
Telenor takes satellite servicing into orbit | Daily News | IBC
Telenor Satellite, in partnership with Intelsat, says it has launched a new era for satellite communications by becoming the first commercial satellite operator to perform in-orbit servicing of an active satellite in geosynchronous orbit.
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The successful launch of MEV-2 from Kourou, French Guiana on 15 August started the countdown to its arrival in geostationary orbit. It was launched on board an Ariane 5 rocket and is scheduled to dock with THOR 10-02/ Intelsat 10-02 in early 2021. The docking procedure will occur while the satellite remains fully operational, ensuring minimal disruption to service.
NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 24 August, 2020 - Ongoing Leak Detection Work - SpaceRef
Sunrise casts long shadows over a cloudy Philippine Sea as the International Space Station orbited off the coast of the Philippines northeast of Manila. Credit: NASA. (Aug. 19, 2020)
The three Expedition 63 crew members will spend another day inside the Russian segment of the International Space Station.
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All of the orbiting lab's hatches will remain closed until Tuesday morning to give ground specialists additional time to collect data and monitor pressure readings in each module. The rate is still well within segment specifications and presents no danger to the crew or the space station.
NASA telescope to detect 'rogue' planets that don't orbit stars | Daily Mail Online
NASA speculates there are hundreds of rogue planets hiding all across the galaxy and may actually outnumber the hundreds of billions of stars.
These free-floating orbs travel around space unattached to a larger star and an orbital telescope set to launch in 2025 aims to uncover their existence.
According to researchers, the $4 billion Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will be 10 times more sensitive in detecting these invisible objects than what is currently possible.
Virgin Orbit to fly 11 satellites for NASA on second orbital launch demo later this year –
After the first attempt was cut short prior to the planned conclusion of the rocket, which was aiming to accomplish a more sustained flight of the empty LauncherOne rocket, potentially even to orbital altitude, the Virgin Orbit team conducted a comprehensive investigation of the cause of the issue encountered.
Virgin notes that it still has some work to do before the investigation is technically complete, but the small satellite space launch company says it’s confident it knows what technical fixes are needed to prevent the same thing from happening in the future, and it’s already in the process of implementing those.
Happening on Twitter
A new report suggests that over the next 30 years, at least 80 percent of the oil industry will be wiped out. https://t.co/vAPM8pIGkQ VICE Thu Aug 27 13:00:20 +0000 2020
"[A] new report suggests that coveted single-family neighborhoods may be a key driver of racial segregation in the… https://t.co/ilIZ9qVmzW Scott_Wiener (from San Francisco, California) Wed Aug 26 20:48:07 +0000 2020
Our 2017 investigation #ParadisePapers revealed the rich and elite were using the Isle of Man to slash the tax bill… https://t.co/iyqGGXmaXt ICIJorg (from International) Thu Aug 27 11:00:17 +0000 2020
Punjab CM suggests conducting #NEETJEE exams online amidst uproar by students, opposition against Centre's decision… https://t.co/ID6IBgIlf1 dna (from India) Thu Aug 27 07:25:22 +0000 2020
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