The H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) was unberthed from the ISS on October 31, 2009. The HTV is scheduled to re-enter the Earth\’s atmosphere on November 2, 2009.
Archive for October, 2009
Ares I is the crew launch vehicle that will be used to deliver the Orion spacecraft to LEO. Ares I is a two-stage rocket, 94 m long and 5.5 m in diameter, that can deliver a 25,000 kg payload to LEO. The Ares I-X test vehicle lifted off on October 28th, 2009, at 15:30 UTC, from Kennedy Space Center, Launch Pad 39B.
Read more about Constellation…
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| Credits: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab |
Carnival of Space #125 is hosted by Robert Simpson at Orbiting Frog.
This week you can read about superconducting magnets used to enable hyperdrive propulsion, the LCROSS mission, surprising early results from the IBEX mission, the Kepler mission, variable stars, affordable microgravity research on the International Space Station, and much more.
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| Credits: ESA/AOES Medialab |
On November 13, 2009, the Rosetta spacecraft will swing by Earth for the last time. This maneuver will provide the boost needed by the spacecraft to reach the outer Solar System. The critical swingby events are described on ESA’s web site.
Rosetta’s mission began on March 2nd, 2004, when the spacecraft lifted off from Kourou, French Guiana. In order to optimize the use of fuel, the probe has a very complicated trajectory to reach its final target, the comet 67/P Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The long trajectory includes three Earth-gravity assists (2004, 2007, and 2009) and one at Mars (2007). The probe uses the gravity wells of Earth and Mars to accelerate to the speed needed for the rendezvous with the comet.
The Ares I-X launch vehicle is now secured on the launch pad. The targeted launch date is October 27, 2009. The launch window is from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM EDT. Ares I-X will liftoff from Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Video of the Ares I motor ground test…
Animation of the Ares I-X test flight…
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| Credits: HMCT/Giotto/ESA/MPAE |
Carnival of Space #124 is hosted at We are all in the gutter, looking at the stars.
This week you can see an interesting picture of our nearest galactic neighbour Andromeda, you can read about the discovery of a new ring around Saturn, Halley’s Comet, sunspots, Orbital Gun Launch Systems, Skylab Orbital Workshop, and much more.
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