OrbitalHub

NASA dicit:

Globular clusters are extremely dense stellar systems, which host stars that are closely packed together. These systems are also typically very old — the globular cluster at the focus of this study, NGC 6397, is almost as old as the universe itself. This cluster resides 7,800 light-years away, making it one of the closest globular clusters to Earth. Due to its very dense nucleus, it is known as a core-collapsed cluster.

At first, astronomers thought the globular cluster hosted an intermediate-mass black hole. These are the long-sought “missing link” between supermassive black holes (many millions of times our Sun’s mass) that lie at the cores of galaxies, and stellar-mass black holes (a few times our Sun’s mass) that form following the collapse of a single massive star. Their mere existence is hotly debated. Only a few candidates have been identified to date.

The researchers used previous estimates of the stars’ tiny proper motions (their apparent motions on the sky), which allow for determining their true velocities within the cluster. These precise measurements for stars in the cluster’s core could only be made with Hubble over several years of observation. The Hubble data were added to well-calibrated proper motion measurements provided by the European Space Agency’s Gaia space observatory which are less precise than Hubble’s observations in the core.

Video credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Paul Morris: Lead Producer/Music: “Glass Ships” by Chris Constantinou [PRS] and Paul Frazer [PRS] via Killer Tracks [BMI] and Universal Production Music/Visual Credits: Artist’s Impression of the Black Hole Concentration in NGC 6397/Video credit: ESA/Hubble, N. Bartmann/Callout of the Black Hole Concentration in NGC 6397/Video credit: ESA/Hubble, N. Bartmann/Artist Rendition of Gaia Spacecraft/Image credit: ESA, C. Carreau

Northrop Grumman dicit:

SpaceLogistics LLC, a Northrop Grumman Company, has partnered with DARPA on the agency’s Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS) program.

The groundbreaking mission features the first-ever commercial robotic servicing spacecraft, known as the Mission Robotic Vehicle (MRV), and aims to expand the market for satellite servicing with advanced robotics technology.

The company is also developing Mission Extension Pods (MEPs) to be installed by the MRV. The new pods act in place of the propulsion system of aging satellites and provide six years of life extension.

Video credit: Northrop Grumman

Wikipedia dicit:

The three major components of the Mars 2020 spacecraft are the 539 kg (1,188 lb) cruise stage for travel between Earth and Mars; the Entry, Descent, and Landing System (EDLS) that includes the 575 kg (1,268 lb) aeroshell descent vehicle + 440 kg (970 lb) heat shield; and the 1,070 kg (2,360 lb) (fueled mass) sky crane needed to deliver Perseverance and Ingenuity safely to the Martian surface. The Sky Crane carries 400 kg (880 lb) landing propellant for the final soft landing burn after being slowed down by a 21.5 m (71 ft) wide 81 kg (179 lb) parachute. The 1,025 kg (2,260 lb) rover is based on the design of Curiosity. While there are differences in scientific instruments and the engineering required to support them, the entire landing system (including the sky crane and heat shield) and rover chassis could essentially be recreated without any additional engineering or research. This reduces overall technical risk for the mission, while saving funds and time on development.

One of the upgrades is a guidance and control technique called “Terrain Relative Navigation” (TRN) to fine-tune steering in the final moments of landing. This system will allow for a landing accuracy within 40 m (130 ft) and avoid obstacles. This is a marked improvement from the Mars Science Laboratory mission that had an elliptical area of 7 by 20 km (4.3 by 12.4 mi). In October 2016, NASA reported using the Xombie rocket to test the Lander Vision System (LVS), as part of the Autonomous Descent and Ascent Powered-flight Testbed (ADAPT) experimental technologies, for the Mars 2020 mission landing, meant to increase the landing accuracy and avoid obstacle hazards.

Video credit: Aerojet Rocketdyne

Lockheed Martin dicit:

Protecting a Mars Rover against the extremes of space travel is critical to the success of any mission. At Lockheed Martin, we’ve built aeroshells to protect all 10 of NASA’s Mars-bound landers and rovers.

For NASA’s latest mission — Mars 2020, which includes the Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter — we built the protective aeroshell and helicopter delivery system. Mars 2020 will attempt the most challenging entry, descent and landing (EDL) sequences ever at Mars. The rover will touch down in the treacherous Jezero Crater, a region filled with boulders, rocky cliffs and shifting sand dunes.

Video credit: Lockheed Martin

SpaceX dicit:

On Tuesday, February 2, Starship serial number 9 (SN9) completed SpaceX’s second high-altitude flight test of a Starship prototype from our site in Cameron County, Texas.

Similar to the high-altitude flight test of Starship serial number 8 (SN8), SN9 was powered through ascent by three Raptor engines, each shutting down in sequence prior to the vehicle reaching apogee – approximately 10 kilometers in altitude. SN9 successfully performed a propellant transition to the internal header tanks, which hold landing propellant, before reorienting itself for reentry and a controlled aerodynamic descent.

The Starship prototype descended under active aerodynamic control, accomplished by independent movement of two forward and two aft flaps on the vehicle. All four flaps are actuated by an onboard flight computer to control Starship’s attitude during flight and enable precise landing at the intended location. During the landing flip maneuver, one of the Raptor engines did not relight and caused SN9 to land at high speed and experience a RUD.

These test flights are all about improving our understanding and development of a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo on long-duration, interplanetary flights and help humanity return to the Moon, and travel to Mars and beyond.

Video credit: SpaceX

They will always be remembered…

Apollo 1 (January 27, 1967)

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

Video credit: NASA