China on 7-5-20 successfully launched the Shiyan-6 02 satellite on a Long March 2D rocket 长征二号丁 • 实验六号02星 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center 酒泉卫星发射中心 . The satellite will be used in space environment research and related tests.
China successfully sent Gaofen 9-03, into orbit
China successfully sent another high-resolution remote sensing satellite, the Gaofen 9-03, into designated orbit on Wednesday via a Long March-2D carrier rocket from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwest China’s Gansu Province. Together with the new Earth observation satellite Gaofen 9-03, a new IoT satellite named Hede-5 and ZDPS-3A, a new technology experimental satellite developed by Zhejiang University, were also sent into space during the Wednesday launch.
SpaceX’s NASA Flight launched successfully
At 3:22pm ET, SpaceX’s NASA Flight launched successfully from Cape Canaveral, marking the first NASA crew bound for orbit from the US in 9 years, heralding a new era in human spaceflight and forging a new landmark for NASA and Elon Musk.
Trump and Pence were both present at the lift off, which saw astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley separated from the rocket booster roughly 12 minutes into the flight.
The Dragon capsule will next deliver Behnken and Hurley to the International Space Station Sunday – the first time American astronauts have flown from U.S. soil since the space shuttle program ended in 2011. The launch comes 18 years after Musk founded Space Exploration Technologies Corp. with the ultimate goal of populating other planets.
It follows after the Raptor engine in SpaceX’s Starship SN4 prototype blew up on its test stand in Boca Chica, Texas a day ago. https://twitter.com/i/status/1266451354861686784
A day later the two US astronauts docked with the International Space Station ISS on SpaceX ‘s Crew Dragon spacecraft. https://twitter.com/i/status/1267105852646965248
China’s Long March 5B carrier rocket
China’s Long March 5B 長征五號B carrier rocket, carrying a new generation of manned spacecraft test vessel and a flexible inflatable cargo return module test capsule, ignited at 6:00 p.m. today 5-5-20 at Wenchang 文昌Space Launch Complex, and after about 488 seconds, the carrier and rocket were successfully separated and entered the scheduled orbit. It was reported that the flight as the first mission for the space station was successful, which kicked off the “third step” of China’s manned space program. The Long March 5B carrier rocket is based on the Long March 5, and is mainly responsible for major launch missions such as the China Space Station module.
The Long March 5B carrier rocket is about 53.7 meters long, with a core diameter of 5 meters, four 3.35-meter diameter boosters bundled, a fairing length of 20.5 meters and a diameter of 5.2 meters, fueled with non-toxic and non-polluting liquid oxygen, liquid hydrogen and kerosene as propellants, a take-off mass of about 849 tons, and a NEO carrying capacity of more than 22 tons, making it the largest NEO carrier rocket in China.
China Manned Space Office said they have identified the reason of two recent launch failure which happened on March 16th and April 9th in 2020. Over the past month, model team and aerospace experts have carried out in-depth problem review, cause analysis, and test verification. The location and mechanism of the malfunction of the two failed missions have been determined.
At the same time, a comprehensive quality rectification and review across the entire spaceflight is organized. Appropriate adjustments have been made to the rocket launch plan initially scheduled to be implemented soon.
Unknown malfunction during cargo return capsule re-entry: CMSA https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1187536.shtml
https://t.co/Rr4AzIa8D8?amp=1 Trial version of China’s new-generation spaceship safely returns to Earth
Astronomers have discovered the biggest explosion seen in the universe
Blast originated from a super-massive black hole in a cluster of galaxies 390 million light-years away
The Associated Press · Posted: Feb 27, 2020 4:56 PM ET | Last Updated: February 28
Astronomers have discovered the biggest explosion seen in the universe, originating from a super-massive black hole.
Scientists reported Thursday that the blast came from a black hole in a cluster of galaxies 390 million light-years away.
The dwarf planet 2007 OR10 is officially Gonggong (龚工)! It’s the first major solar system body with a Chinese name. Its satellite is Xiangliu (相柳)
Gonggong has a reddish hue and might be able to sustain some sort of stinky, methane atmosphere.
Hopefully this celestial object doesn’t take on the characteristics of its namesake, who’s known for causing much suffering and destruction in the form of floods and even knocking the Earth’s axis off center. Perhaps if we’re lucky, the influence of Xiangliu will keep those tendencies in check.