OrbitalHub

March 8, 2010

Kepler Anniversary

Posted by dj

Credits: NASA/Kim Shiflett

On March 6, 2009, the Delta II launch vehicle carrying the Kepler spacecraft lifted off from Launch Complex 17-B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

In May 2009, Kepler started to hunt for other Earth-like planets in our galaxy. The technique used by Kepler to discover exo-planets is called transits. The large field of view of the Kepler telescope simultaneously captures the light of a very large number of stars in the Cygnus and Lyra constellations.

Kepler scientists already announced the discovery of five exoplanets named Kepler 4b, 5b, 6b, 7b, and 8b. The data collected by Kepler was also used to detect the atmosphere of the HAT-P-7b giant gas planet.

Kepler is expected to be operational until at least November 2012. Scientists hope to discover exo-planets in the habitable zone of other stars. The habitable zone is a region around a star where water can exist in liquid form on the surface of a planet. You can find more information about Kepler on NASA’s Kepler Mission website.

Space Exploration, Space Telescopes

Comments (0)

March 5, 2010

GOES-P Launch

Posted by dj

On March 4, 2010, the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-P was launched on top of a United Launch Alliance Delta IV launch vehicle, from launch pad 37B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Once in geostationary orbit, GOES-P became GOES-15, the latest satellite in a fleet of satellites that help predict weather in North America.

Phobos Animation

Posted by dj

ESA\’s Mars Express performed the closest flyby of Phobos, the largest moon of Mars, on Wednesday, March 3, 2010. The spacecraft passed by at an altitude of 67 km. The animation of Phobos was created using the data collected by the Mars Express High Resolution Stereo Camera in 2008.

Pioneer 10 Launch Anniversary

Posted by dj

the plaque on board the Pioneer spacecraft

Credits: NASA

Pioneer 10 was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station\’s Launch Complex 36A on March 2, 1972. On December 3, 1973, Pioneer 10 sent back the first close-up images of Jupiter. On June 13, 1983, the spacecraft passed the orbit of Neptune.

Pioneer 10 is heading in the direction of Aldebaran, the orange giant star which is the Bull\’s Eye in the Taurus Constellation. The last contact with the probe was established in 2003.

Proton-M Launch at Baikonur

Posted by dj

Three GLONASS satellites were blasted into space onboard a Proton launch vehicle from Baikonur Cosmodrome, in Kazakhstan, on March 1, 2010. GLONASS, or GLObal\’naya NAvigatsionnaya Sputnikovaya Sistema, is a satellite navigation system operated for the Russian government by the Russian Space Forces.

STS-130 Space Shuttle Endeavour Landing

Posted by dj

After a fifteen-day successful mission, Space Shuttle Endeavour touched down at the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center, on February 21, 2010. During three EVAs, the mission specialists Nicholas Patrick and Robert L. Behnken berthed the Tranquility Module, and relocated and attached the Cupola.