Artemis II is a scheduled mission of the NASA-led Artemis program. It will use the second launch of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and include the first crewed mission of the Orion spacecraft. The mission is scheduled to take place no earlier than April 2026. Four astronauts will perform a flyby of the Moon and return to Earth, becoming the first crew to travel beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972. Artemis II will be the first crewed launch from Launch Complex 39B of the Kennedy Space Center since STS-116 in 2006.
The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES), operated by the United States’ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service division, supports weather forecasting, severe storm tracking, and meteorology research. Spacecraft and ground-based elements of the system work together to provide a continuous stream of environmental data. The National Weather Service (NWS) and the Meteorological Service of Canada use the GOES system for their North American weather monitoring and forecasting operations, and scientific researchers use the data to better understand land, atmosphere, ocean, and climate dynamics.
The fourth-generation satellites, the GOES-R series, were built by Lockheed Martin using the A2100 satellite bus. The GOES-R series is a four-satellite program (GOES-R, -S, -T and -U) intended to extend the availability of the operational GOES satellite system through 2036. GOES-R launched on 19 November 2016. It was renamed GOES-16 upon reaching orbit. Second of the series GOES-S, was launched on 1 March 2018. It was renamed GOES-17 upon reaching orbit.
The instrument package for the GOES-R series includes:
Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI)
Space Environment In-Situ Suite (SEISS), which includes two Magnetospheric Particle Sensors (MPS-HI and MPS-LO), an Energetic Heavy Ion Sensor, and a Solar and Galactic Proton Sensor
Solar Imaging Suite, which includes the Solar Ultraviolet Imager (SUVI), the Solar X-Ray Sensor (XRS), and the Extreme Ultraviolet Sensor (EUVS)
Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM)
Magnetometer
Virgil “Gus” Grissom – Commander, Edward White – Command Pilot, Roger Chaffee – Pilot
STS-51 L (January 28, 1986)
Francis R. Scobee – Commander, Michael J. Smith – Pilot, Judith A. Resnik – Mission Specialist 1, Ellison Onizuka – Mission Specialist 2, Ronald E. McNair – Mission Specialist 3, Gregory B. Jarvis – Payload Specialist 1, Sharon Christa McAuliffe – Payload Specialist 2
STS-107 (February 1, 2003)
Rick D. Husband – Commander, William C. McCool – Pilot, Michael P. Anderson – Payload Commander, David M. Brown – Mission Specialist 1, Kalpana Chawla – Mission Specialist 2, Laurel Clark – Mission Specialist 3, Ilan Ramon – Payload Specialist 1
Here is a sneak peak of Komatsu on the moon. At the dawn of space exploration, Komatsu is taking on a challenge to develop a machine whose line of job is construction on the moon! The study of lunar construction equipment utilises the results of research and development commissioned by the Project for Promoting the Development of Innovative Technologies for Outer Space Autonomous Construction (A Japanese government project lead-managed by MLIT with the collaboration of MEXT).
We have successfully completed our sixth stress test and fourth Ultimate Burst Pressure (UBP) test for our LIFE® 10 commercial space station technology, achieving a rupture at 255 psi, the highest pressure yet. This test exceeded NASA’s Factor of Safety recommendations, demonstrating a safety factor greater than 16x in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and 23x in lunar environments. Our team continues to lead in the development of expandable structures for various space applications, as we build the world’s first commercial space station.
We’re developing advanced inflatable softgoods technologies to support astronauts living and working in space. These durable, spacious and safe modules are designed for a variety of mission needs. Built entirely by our expert team, our inflatable habitats offer adaptability, repeatability and cost-effective manufacturing—paving the way for the future of space habitation.
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