When one of the Russian Progress resupply ships undocks from the International Space Station, timing is everything. The Progress needs to fire its engines at just the right time to instigate the deorbit burn in order for the ship to enter the atmosphere at just the right place so that its destructive re-entry occurs over the Pacific Ocean. That way, any…
Tag: deorbit
SpaceX Cargo Dragon succeeds in 1st autonomous undocking
SpaceX’s CRS-21 Cargo Dragon undocked from the International Space Station’s Harmony module on January 12, 2021, succeeding in the world’s first-ever autonomous undocking and testing of several new vehicle upgrades. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/space-x-cargo-dragon-1st-autonomous-undocking-jan-2021…
Deep-learning algorithms helping to clear space junk from our skies
How do you measure the pose—that is the 3-D rotation and 3-D translation—of a piece of space junk so that a grasping satellite can capture it in real time in order to successfully remove it from Earth’s orbit? What role will deep learning algorithms play? And, what is real time in space? These are some of the questions being tackled in…
Blue Origin’s New Shepard completed its 7th launch and landing this week
Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket successfully launched an uncrewed test flight on October 13, with both its capsule and booster later executing a flawless landing. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/blue-origin-new-shepard-7th-launch-landing-oct-13-2020…
For Space Junk Cleanup, DragRacer Satellite Will Test ‘Terminator Tape’ This Fall
schwit1 quotes Space.com: An experimental mission to test tether-based orbital debris cleanup methods with “Terminator Tape” is slated to launch this fall to test the deorbit performance of two satellites. The Millennium Space Systems mission, called DragRacer, involves two small satellites that are set to launch simultaneously to low Earth orbit (LEO) to measure how fast satellites fall out of space….
Solving the space junk problem
Space is getting crowded. Aging satellites and space debris crowd low-Earth orbit, and launching new satellites adds to the collision risk. The most effective way to solve the space junk problem, according to a new study, is not to capture debris or deorbit old satellites: it’s an international agreement to charge operators “orbital-use fees” for every satellite put into orbit. Source:…
How Do Astronauts Escape When a Space Launch Goes Wrong?
On May 27, NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley are expected to become the first humans to ride a Dragon. The two astronauts will catch a ride to the International Space Station in SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule as part of the Demo-2 mission, the final test before NASA officially certifies the vehicle for human spaceflight. It will be the first…
NASA Safety Panel Calls For Reviews After Second Starliner Software Problem
A second software problem during a CST-100 Starliner test flight is prompting a NASA safety panel to recommend a review of Boeing’s software verification processes. Space News reports: That new software problem, not previously discussed by NASA or Boeing, was discussed during a Feb. 6 meeting of NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel that examined the December uncrewed test flight of Starliner…
Can We Use Special Sails To Bring Old Satellites Back Down To Earth?
There’s already nearly 5,000 satellites orbiting earth, “and many of them are non-functioning space debris now, clogging up orbital paths for newer satellites,” reports Universe Today. Yet over the next five years we expect to launch up to 2600 more — which is prompting a search for solutions to “the growing problem of space debris in Low-Earth Orbit.” Some exotic-sounding solutions…