The face of the sun, a dying robot, meteor strikes, lovely moons
November 5, 2022 1:56 PM Subscribe
October 2022 in humanity's exploration of space. Let's start from the sun. The European Space Agency (ESA) Solar Orbiter zoomed very close to our star and captured great images of its corona.
On Earth, getting off of it, and returning to it
The United States National Science Foundation will not rebuild the damaged Arecibo site, but will turn it into an educational center instead.
China successfully orbited and integrated the Mengtian laboratory cabin module (梦天实验舱), the final (and huge) module needed to complete the Tiangong space station (天宫空间站). The very large launching rocket, a Long March 5B, fell to Earth, prompting Spain to temporarily close its airspace, but the stage fell safely into the Pacific Ocean. China launched an experimental Shiyan-20C satellite into orbit. In orbit, China's apparently uncrewed spaceplane released an object. A Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) report drew attention to growing numbers of Chinese ground stations in South America.
SpaceX successfully launched humans to the International Space Station (ISS) on its new Freedom Dragon capsule. A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launched a military payload into space. The company also orbited another 51 Starlink satellites. Rocket Lab successfully launched a satellite into orbit from New Zealand, but its helicopter failed to snag the falling Electron booster in mid-air. Orbex is ready to start building a space launch site in Scotland.
Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti (Twitter, Tiktok) became the first female European commander of the ISS. In French Guiana the ESA assembled an Ariane 6 booster in a new way. The ESA also proposed exploring orbital solar power which would be beamed to the Earth's surface.
Roscosmos launched three satellites in a week, including Kosmos-2560, a military one, which might be a missile launch detector. The ISS also fired a rocket engine for five minutes in order to get out of the way of incoming Russian satellite debris.
Artmemis I is now standing on historical Kennedy launch pad 39B, scheduled to take off November 22nd, carrying an Orion spacecraft. NASA and Boeing delayed their crewed Starliner launch until February. The American military's automated shuttle X-37B (OT-6 or USA-299)has now been in orbit more than 900 days. A NASA satellite detected powerful methane emissions on Earth's surface. Astronomers published a video of the night sky as seen from the NEOWISE (formerly WISE) satellite.
To the Moon!
Japanese company iSpace hopes to launch its HAKUTO-R lunar lander this month, with a NASA cubesat riding along. NASA also regained control of its CAPSTONE craft, which is now scheduled to orbit the moon starting November 13. Five new lunar rover missions are in the pipeline.
On the moon itself, samples from China's Chang'E-5 lander served as evidence in research about early lunar vulcanism.
In the Earth's L2 point
The Webb telescope offered an astonishing image of “The Pillars of Creation.” (previously)
To, around, on, and in Mars
Data discovered by China's Zhurong rover points to two ancient floods. NASA's Curiosity rover reached a salty spot in the Mount Sharp area. The ESA's Mars Express imaged a rare sight, the moon Phobos occulting Jupiter and several of its moons. NASA and ESA agreed on a Martian site to assemble materials for a return mission.
NASA's InSight lander recorded evidence of meteors striking the red planet in real time. Covered by a sandstorm, InSight is losing power (if still taking photos) and will likely cease functioning next month.
NASA is also trying out new Martian landing ideas, like a new kind of safe crash landing mechanism: "SHIELD (Simplified High Impact Energy Landing Device) would use an accordion-like, collapsible base that acts like the crumple zone of a car and absorbs the energy of a hard impact." They are also testing out "an expandable aeroshell," the Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID), in Earth orbit.
To the asteroids
From Earth, astronomers imaged the successful DART asteroid impact, as did the Italian Space Agency's LICIACube satellite.
An international team discovered three asteroids hiding in the sun's glare.
On its way to visit Jovian asteroids (which already look interesting), the Lucy spacecraft swung by the Earth in a slingshot maneuver and took images of the Earth and its moon.
NASA plans to launch an uncrewed spacecraft to visit the 16 Psyche asteroid about a year from now.
Jupiter
Juno hurtled within nearly 200 miles of Europa and shared a photo. (Back on Earth, not to be outdone, astronomers took fine images of Europa and Ganymede.)
At the solar system's edge
Data from NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX), combined with signals from Voyagers 1 and 2, reveal ripples in the heliopause.
On Earth, getting off of it, and returning to it
The United States National Science Foundation will not rebuild the damaged Arecibo site, but will turn it into an educational center instead.
China successfully orbited and integrated the Mengtian laboratory cabin module (梦天实验舱), the final (and huge) module needed to complete the Tiangong space station (天宫空间站). The very large launching rocket, a Long March 5B, fell to Earth, prompting Spain to temporarily close its airspace, but the stage fell safely into the Pacific Ocean. China launched an experimental Shiyan-20C satellite into orbit. In orbit, China's apparently uncrewed spaceplane released an object. A Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) report drew attention to growing numbers of Chinese ground stations in South America.
SpaceX successfully launched humans to the International Space Station (ISS) on its new Freedom Dragon capsule. A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launched a military payload into space. The company also orbited another 51 Starlink satellites. Rocket Lab successfully launched a satellite into orbit from New Zealand, but its helicopter failed to snag the falling Electron booster in mid-air. Orbex is ready to start building a space launch site in Scotland.
Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti (Twitter, Tiktok) became the first female European commander of the ISS. In French Guiana the ESA assembled an Ariane 6 booster in a new way. The ESA also proposed exploring orbital solar power which would be beamed to the Earth's surface.
Roscosmos launched three satellites in a week, including Kosmos-2560, a military one, which might be a missile launch detector. The ISS also fired a rocket engine for five minutes in order to get out of the way of incoming Russian satellite debris.
Artmemis I is now standing on historical Kennedy launch pad 39B, scheduled to take off November 22nd, carrying an Orion spacecraft. NASA and Boeing delayed their crewed Starliner launch until February. The American military's automated shuttle X-37B (OT-6 or USA-299)has now been in orbit more than 900 days. A NASA satellite detected powerful methane emissions on Earth's surface. Astronomers published a video of the night sky as seen from the NEOWISE (formerly WISE) satellite.
To the Moon!
Japanese company iSpace hopes to launch its HAKUTO-R lunar lander this month, with a NASA cubesat riding along. NASA also regained control of its CAPSTONE craft, which is now scheduled to orbit the moon starting November 13. Five new lunar rover missions are in the pipeline.
On the moon itself, samples from China's Chang'E-5 lander served as evidence in research about early lunar vulcanism.
In the Earth's L2 point
The Webb telescope offered an astonishing image of “The Pillars of Creation.” (previously)
To, around, on, and in Mars
Data discovered by China's Zhurong rover points to two ancient floods. NASA's Curiosity rover reached a salty spot in the Mount Sharp area. The ESA's Mars Express imaged a rare sight, the moon Phobos occulting Jupiter and several of its moons. NASA and ESA agreed on a Martian site to assemble materials for a return mission.
NASA's InSight lander recorded evidence of meteors striking the red planet in real time. Covered by a sandstorm, InSight is losing power (if still taking photos) and will likely cease functioning next month.
NASA is also trying out new Martian landing ideas, like a new kind of safe crash landing mechanism: "SHIELD (Simplified High Impact Energy Landing Device) would use an accordion-like, collapsible base that acts like the crumple zone of a car and absorbs the energy of a hard impact." They are also testing out "an expandable aeroshell," the Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID), in Earth orbit.
To the asteroids
From Earth, astronomers imaged the successful DART asteroid impact, as did the Italian Space Agency's LICIACube satellite.
An international team discovered three asteroids hiding in the sun's glare.
On its way to visit Jovian asteroids (which already look interesting), the Lucy spacecraft swung by the Earth in a slingshot maneuver and took images of the Earth and its moon.
NASA plans to launch an uncrewed spacecraft to visit the 16 Psyche asteroid about a year from now.
Jupiter
Juno hurtled within nearly 200 miles of Europa and shared a photo. (Back on Earth, not to be outdone, astronomers took fine images of Europa and Ganymede.)
At the solar system's edge
Data from NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX), combined with signals from Voyagers 1 and 2, reveal ripples in the heliopause.
What a fantastic post! This is so so good. Love the format, love the level of detail (not too much—just right), love the clarity.
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 2:25 PM on November 5, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 2:25 PM on November 5, 2022 [2 favorites]
There is so much good in here that I’m ashamed that my first reaction to the headline was “oh god 2022 what are you doing now.”
posted by mhoye at 3:13 PM on November 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by mhoye at 3:13 PM on November 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
For anyone interested in updates on human activity in space one of my favorite vestiges of the early web is Jonathan's Space Report, a monthly-ish newsletter from Harvard astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell cataloging all space launches. Always cool when a new one pops into my inbox.
posted by Wretch729 at 3:44 PM on November 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Wretch729 at 3:44 PM on November 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
Which is not to detract from doctornemo's many fantastic space update posts! Really there should be a special tag for them so it's easy to find them all.
posted by Wretch729 at 3:48 PM on November 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Wretch729 at 3:48 PM on November 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
Thank You doctornemo, Your updates are my favorite read.
posted by clavdivs at 5:55 PM on November 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by clavdivs at 5:55 PM on November 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
Watching the Artemis launch prep right now, assuming nothing happens in the next hour that would close the launch window.
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 8:56 PM on November 15, 2022
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 8:56 PM on November 15, 2022
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