· space brief · 5 min read
Space Brief 28 Oct 2024
Explore China's ambitions to expand its Tiangong space station, NASA's next steps for the Europa Clipper mission, and ESA's efforts to support the European space industry. Discover the latest in satellite tracking and consider the fascinating findings on potential life on Mars.
📄Top Stories
China is planning to expand its Tiangong space station with new modules to enhance its capabilities and international collaboration. Meanwhile, NASA’s Europa Clipper is on a historic journey to study Jupiter’s moon Europa, potentially housing conditions favorable to life. The European Space Agency (ESA) is rolling out measures to support the embattled European space industry, including the development of upgraded Ariane 6 rockets.
📰Detailed Coverage
China to Expand Tiangong Space Station
China’s Tiangong space station, fully assembled in 2022, is set for a significant expansion with plans to transition from its current T-shape to a Double-T shape, accommodating more experimental racks and supporting larger extravehicular activities. These updates aim not only to boost Tiangong’s capabilities but also to invite international collaboration on both research and crew participation. Moreover, China’s new spacecraft, Mengzhou, is being designed for future lunar missions and expanded crew capacity, with a full debut expected by 2027.
The evolution of Tiangong underscores China’s ambition to maintain a human presence in low Earth orbit, even as the International Space Station (ISS) nears the end of its life. This expansion relates closely to satellite tracking as it involves enhancements in orbital infrastructure and international partnerships. Track changes at the Tiangong station in real-time using our satellite tracking web app.
Read the full story: Space.com
NASA’s Journey with the Europa Clipper
NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft has embarked on its mission to explore Jupiter’s moon Europa, a promising target for studying extraterrestrial habitability. This $6 billion mission will cover 1.8 billion miles and implement multiple planetary flybys for gravity-assisted acceleration, ultimately arriving at Europa by 2030. The Clipper will then perform 49 flybys of the moon to gather critical data about its ice shell, subsurface ocean, and overall astrobiological potential.
The mission’s progression highlights the intricate orbital maneuvers required in deep space exploration, mapped similarly to satellite tracking missions around Earth. Understanding Europa’s conditions could inform future missions, potentially utilizing our web app’s path modeling and prediction features for long-duration space travel.
Read the full story: Space.com
ESA’s Support for the European Space Industry
The European Space Agency (ESA) is implementing strategies to bolster the European space sector, currently facing significant challenges. These initiatives cater to improving sustainability and market competitiveness, addressing concerns brought to light by recent industrial pressures.
Key to these efforts are the prospective upgrades to the Ariane 6 launcher, which is pivotal for European access to space. Arianespace suggests potential post-2030 Block 3 upgrades might substantially enhance payload capacity and mission versatility, crucial factors in meeting future orbit and satellite deployment demands.
Read the full story: SpaceNews
Ariane 6 Rocket’s Path to Upgrades
Arianespace is considering enhancements to the Ariane 6 launch system, possibly rolling out a “Block 3” upgrade series post-2030. These advancements are expected to include increased payload capacities and advanced propulsion technologies to meet evolving commercial and scientific launch needs.
The ongoing development of the Ariane 6 rocket directly impacts satellite deployments, affecting orbital slot availability and mission success rates. Our app’s tracking feature will enable users to follow these launches and explore their implications for global satellite networks in real time.
Read the full story: EuropeanSpaceFlight
New Hope for Life on Mars
A NASA-led study has posited that microbial life might subsist beneath Mars’ icy surface in underground water pools. This hypothesis adds a new dimension to the quest for life beyond Earth, suggesting subsurface refuges could shield life from harsh surface conditions.
This discovery emphasizes the significance of Martian exploration for understanding extraterrestrial ecosystems, while also aligning with satellite-based efforts to map and study planetary surfaces and atmospheres—a feature well supported by our satellite observation tools.
Read the full story: NASASpaceFlight.com
🛰️Satellite Spotlight
- Satellite Name: ANSER-FLW2
- NORAD ID: 58018
- Launch Date: 2023
- Mission: Surveillance and communications, part of a cubesat constellation for real-time data relay.
- Orbit: Inclination 97.6158°, Period 95.3 minutes, near-circular.
- Operator: National Institute of Aerospace Technology, Spain
- Fun Fact: ANSER-FLW2 is part of a rapidly deployable satellite network designed to enhance emergency response communications globally.
Current TLE Data:
1 58018U 23155C 24298.78307035 .00016487 00000-0 98167-3 0 99996
2 58018 97.6158 7.1500 0004394 109.7894 250.3810 15.11283370 57306
Track this satellite in real-time on our web app: Track ANSER-FLW2
🚀Upcoming Space Launches
October 29
- SpaceX Falcon 9:
- Starlink Group 9-9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, CA, USA (11:30 UTC) A batch of satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX’s project for space-based Internet communication system.
- China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Long March 2F/G:
- Shenzhou 19 from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People’s Republic of China (20:17 UTC) Eighth crewed flight to the Chinese space station.
October 30
- SpaceX Falcon 9:
- Starlink Group 10-13 from Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA (21:10 UTC) A batch of satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX’s project for space-based Internet communication system.
October 31
- Russian Space Forces Soyuz 2.1b:
- Kosmos (Unknown Payload) from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation (07:00 UTC) Russian military payload of unknown purposes.
November 3
- Mitsubishi Heavy Industries H3-22:
- DSN 3 (Kirameki 3) from Tanegashima Space Center, Japan (06:46 UTC) A geostationary communications satellite for military communications by the Japanese military.
- SpaceX Falcon 9:
- Starlink Group 6-77 from Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA (21:57 UTC) A batch of satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX’s project for space-based Internet communication system.
November 4
- Rocket Lab Electron:
- Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand (10:30 UTC) Launch of a yet to be identified satellite to SSO for an undisclosed customer.
- Russian Federal Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS) Soyuz 2.1b/Fregat-M:
- Ionosfera-M 1 & 2 from Vostochny Cosmodrome, Siberia, Russian Federation (23:18 UTC) Ionosfera is a constellation of four ionospheric and magnetospheric research satellites.
November 5
- SpaceX Falcon 9:
- Dragon CRS-2 SpX-31 from Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA (02:29 UTC) 31st commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station operated by SpaceX.
Note: Launch dates and times are subject to change due to technical or weather considerations.
