Month: July 2021

Stakes are high for Boeing Starliner’s 2nd space station try this week

NeRD

Boeing’s astronaut taxi is stepping into the limelight again, and the stakes are even higher this time. The CST-100 Starliner capsule is scheduled to launch Friday (July 30) at 2:53 p.m. EDT (1853 GMT) on a crucial uncrewed demonstration mission to the International Space Station. You can watch it live here at Space.com, courtesy of NASA, or directly via the space agency. The mission is called Orbital Flight Test 2 (OFT-2). As the name suggests, it will be Starliner’s second crack at an uncrewed meetup with the space station. On…

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Dazzling Doubles for Compromised Skies

NeRD

For many, smoke from wildfires has transformed summer nights, blotting out stars and familiar deep-sky sights. But through it all double stars keep on shining. The post Dazzling Doubles for Compromised Skies appeared first on Sky & Telescope.

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Astronomers propose ‘SatHub’ to address growing threat of satellite megaconstellations

NeRD

Some astronomers suggest setting up a “SatHub” to address the growing threat that satellite megaconstellations pose to the night sky — but funding and support are necessary to make it happen. The primary goal of the international SatHub project would be implementing and adapting plans for observations as new satellites go up, team members said. A secondary goal would be training, outreach and analysis concerning low Earth orbit satellites for the greater community. SatHub was one of the key recommendations emerging from a recent workshop, called Satellite Constellations 2 (SATCON2),…

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We could hunt gravitational waves on the moon if this wild idea takes off

NeRD

Humanity’s return to the moon could open up new windows on the universe. NASA is working to establish a permanent human presence on and around the moon by the end of the 2020s, via a program known as Artemis. That presence may eventually include radio telescopes on the moon’s exceptionally quiet far side — and, perhaps, even more ambitious off-Earth science facilities. For example, a recent study makes the case for building a gravitational-wave observatory on the moon.  Hunting gravitational waves: The LIGO laser interferometer project in photos [embedded content]…

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American Rocketry Challenge sees Portland school take 2021 championship

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[embedded content] A Portland-area high school came out on top in a new “distributed” version of this year’s American Rocketry Challenge that was optimized for pandemic safety. Oregon Episcopal School received $20,000 for coming within one foot and 6.7 feet (2 meters) of a specified altitude in two flights, putting it best among 100 national finalists. As a first-time finalist, the school also received $2,500 for posting the best results among the rookies, and an additional $1,000 given to each finalist participant as a thank-you for their time and efforts…

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In photos: Blue Origin’s 1st New Shepard passenger launch with Jeff Bezos

NeRD

(Image credit: Blue Origin) In the stark desert morning of West Texas, Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket stands atop Launch Site One awaiting its first crew. The launch site is near the town of Van Horn, Texas. While the First Human Flight was the 16th flight of a New Shepard rocket, it was the third spaceflight for this particular New Shepard, which Blue Origin has earmarked for crewed spaceflights. A second New Shepard that has flown more often will be used for uncrewed payload flights.  New Shepard is named for…

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