Jonathan's Space Report
No. 831 2024 Mar 25 Somerville, MA
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Chandra X-ray Observatory
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NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory was launched in 1999. In a hair-raising
event-filled launch on Space Shuttle Columbia flight STS-93, Eileen
Collins and her crew risked their lives to deploy this ground-breaking
scientific instrument. Since then Chandra has provided a series of
scientific discoveries, notably (in combo with optical weak lensing
measurements) the best evidence for the reality of dark matter. Demand
for the observatory remains high and the rate of scientific publications
from it continues steady. Engineers expect Chandra is capable of
continuing to operate effectively for up to another decade, although
thermal insulation issues have complicated mission planning (requiring a
1% increase in the operating budget to keep everything healthy, rather
than a small budget decrease that might otherwise have been possible).
Chandra is considered by the astronomy community as one of the most
scientifically effective missions per dollar.
Nevertheless, NASA has decided that Chandra should be shut down to
address the overall budget cuts faced by the agency. Although the
official FY2025 President's Budget Request language says the proposed
reductions are for a 'minimum mission', the reality is that reducing the
annual budget of $60M in FY2023 to $41M in FY2025 and $27M in FY2026
means shutting down the mission and firing most of the staff. (Conflict
of interest disclaimer: I am one of those staff.) The remaining money
would be used for wrapping up the archive and so forth - the public data
archive is used repeatedly for lots of additional science papers.
This decision is not yet final, since the president's budget is followed
by revisions made by Congress before it is enacted. Nevertheless at the
moment that is the plan, and it would mean that scientists using Hubble
and JWST to observe the cold parts of the universe would no longer be
able to complement those observations with similarly sharp images of the
hot parts of the universe in the X-ray. [Note: for us X-ray astronomers,
"cold" means "less than a million degrees"]. For example, perhaps you
see a glowing gas cloud in JWST, but without the Chandra data you can't
see the compact binary star that is responsible for pumping energy into
that cloud. So, shutting down Chandra would mean that HST and JWST would
also be less scientifically effective.
No replacement for Chandra is in the works anywhere in the world.
China's Einstein Probe (just launched), the Japan-US XRISM mission
(recently operational), Europe's XMM-Newton and its proposed (but also
budgetarily threatened) replacement Athena are fantastic X-ray
observatories but none of them can take the sharp images that can be
used for comparisons with HST and JWST. The plan implies a gap in
astronomy's capability for a generation or more, and the end of a US
dominance in X-ray astronomy that has for the most part lasted since the
discovery of Sco X-1 in 1962.
See the Chandra director's letter to the community at
https://cxc.cfa.harvard.edu/cdo/announcement.html
International Space Station
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Expedition 70 continues.
Dragon Crew-8 was launched on Mar 4 with M. Dominick, M. Barratt, J. Epps and A. Grebyonkin.
It docked with IDA-2 at 0728 UTC Mar 5.
On Mar 10 A. Mogensen transferred command of Expedition 70 to Oleg Kononenko.
Crew-7 undocked from IDA-3 at 1520 UTC Mar 11 with J. Moghbeli, A. Mogensen, S. Furukawa and
K. Borisov. It splashed down in the Pensacola recovery area (87.5W 29.8N) at 0947 UTC Mar 12.
On Mar 14 at 1311 UTC Progress MS-26 raised the ISS orbit with a 1097s burn of 1.6m/s.
Cargo Dragon CRS-30 was launched on Mar 21. It carries a spare Pump Module in its trunk,
and at least seven cubesats. CRS-30 docked with the ISS at the IDA-3 port on Harmony zenith
at 1119 UTC Mar 23.
Soyuz MS-25 was launched on Mar 23 at 1236 UTC.
Crew are Oleg Novitskiy of Roskosmos (Komandir; space traveller 535),
Tracy Caldwell Dyson of NASA (Bortinzhener/flight engineer, 467) and Marina Vasilevskaya of Belarus (Uchastnik
Kosmicheskaya Poleta/spaceflight participant, 685).
Soyuz MS-25 docked with the Prichal module on Mar 25 at 1502:50 UTC.
The third stage of the Soyuz-2-1a rocket that launched it made an uncontrolled reentry
over Novy Urgal in the Russian far east at 1019 UTC Mar 25.
Chinese Space Station
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Astronauts Tang H. and Jiang made the second spacewalk of their ZR6 expedition on Mar 1.
The spacewalk lasted about 8 hours and the hatch was open from around 2130 UTC Mar 1
to 0532 UTC Mar 2.
Starship
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The third Starship flight test was launched from Starbase (Boca Chica, Texas) at 1325 UTC Mar 14
using Booster 10 and Ship 28. Booster and Ship successfully separated at T+2:49 at an altitude
of 72 km. Booster reached an apogee of 106 km and made a controlled flight down to an
altitude of 1 km before attempting to restart engines for a soft-water-impact landing burn.
However the engines did not successfully restart and the booster was lost at this point.
Ship continued ascent to targeted engine cutoff at T+8:35 at an altitude of 150 km,
reaching an orbit of -50 x 234 km x 26.5 deg. Apogee of 234 km was reached at 1350 UTC
over the mid-Atlantic Ocean. A Raptor restart had been planned around 1406 UTC over
Namibia, which would have been prograde and raised perigee to around +50 km. However
this did not occur. Entry began around 1411 UTC southeast of Madagascar and at T+49:35,
1414:35 UTC, contact was lost with the vehicle at an altitude of 65 km, probably near 70E 26S.
It seems likely that Ship broke up and was destroyed at that point.
The Ship flight was not fully in orbit and so did not receive a US Space Force catalog number
or an international launch designation. I have assigned it a 'U' launch designation 2024-U01 in my
system, denoting a launch that was 'not quite orbital in an interesting way'. A full
list of the 'U' designations is at https://planet4589.org/space/gcat/web/intro/u.html
Starlink launches
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Starlink Group 6-41 (23 sats) was launched from Canaveral on Mar 4.
Starlink Group 6-43 (23 sats) was launched from Canaveral on Mar 10.
Starlink Group 7-17 (23 sats) was launched from Canaveral on Mar 11.
Starlink Group 6-44 (23 sats) was launched from Kennedy on Mar 16.
Starlink Group 7-16 (20 sats) was launched from Vandenberg on Mar 19.
Starlink Group 6-42 (23 sats) was launched from Kennedy on Mar 24.
Note: because the initial SpaceX web page for the 7-16 launch said 22 sats, some suggested
two secret sats are on the same launch. I was not initially convinced, but the cataloging
of USA 352 suggests that USA 350 and USA 351 were launched recently - likely two Starshield
military Starlinks on this launch. The situation is still unclear as none of the objects
from the launch have yet been cataloged by Space Force.
Transporter-10
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SpaceX launched the Transporter-10 rideshare mission from Vandenberg on Mar 4.
The payloads are:
Imaging: Rose (Aerospacelab, Belgium); HORACIO (Satlantis, Spain); GHOST-4, 5 (Orbital Sidekick, US);
Hammer (Open Cosmos, UK); NewSat-44 (Satellogic, Uruguay/Argentina); PYXIS (Axelspace, Japan);
RROCI-2 (Orion Space/USSF, US); Musat-2 (Muon Space, US)
Radar Imaging: ICEYE-X36 X37 X38 (Iceye, Finland/US)
Sigint: Loulou, Riri, Fifi (Aerospacelab, Belgium); BRO-12, BRO-13 (Unseen Labs, France)
Other remote sensing: AEROS/MH-1 (CEIIA, Portugal); Lemur-2 x 2 (Spire, US); Veery-0E (Care Weather, US);
MethaneSat (EDF, US)
Comms: Hubble 1,2 (Spire/Hubble Networks, US); TIGER-7, 8 (OQ Tech, Luxembourg); OWL-1,2 (Ondo Space, Mongolia);
IRIS-F1 (Satoro Space and NCKU, Taiwan); Lynk Tower 5,6 (Lynk, US)
Tugs: Optimus-2 (Space Machines, Australia)
Prox ops tests Jackal X-1L-001/002 (True Anomaly, US); Quark/Gluon (Atomos Space, US);
Pacific Lace A, B (NIWC-P, US); PY4 SV1 to SV4 (NASA Ames, US); Pony Express 2 SV1, SV2
(Terran Orbital/Lockheed, US)
SSA payloads: Sentry/Scout-1, (Quantum Space, US )
Other technology verification: SONATE-2 (U Wurzburg, Germany); M3 (Missouri U.ST, US)
Misc hosted payloads YAM-6 (Loft Orbital, US); LizzieSat-1 (Sidus Space, US); Aries 1 (Apex Space, US);
OrbAstro-TR2 (Orb.Astro, UK)
Spacevan
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The Exotrail Spacevan tug, launched on Transporter-9 last year, ejected a 8U cubesat (EXO-1) on Feb 28.
Strix-3
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The Strix-3 radar satellite for the Japanese company Synspective was launched on Mar 12 by Rocket Lab's
Electron from New Zealand.
DRO-A/DRO-B
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On Mar 13 China launched two experimental spacecraft from Xichang on a CZ-2C/YZ-1S. The
spacecraft were intended to test out lunar direct retrograde orbit
navigation - presumably similar to the US CAPSTONE mission. However the YZ-1S upper stage failed
to complete its burn Two objects have been cataloged in low orbit. One is the CZ-2C second stage. The other
is likely a separation motor cover (four of these are often seen on CZ-2 class launches).
A third object, object A, is presumably the YZ-1S stage, and is in a highly
elliptical orbit with an apogee of around 132600 km. (The satellite catalog page on Space-Track
shows an orbit of 1164 x 246391 km, but no corresponding TLE has been released)
It is possible that the DRO-A and DRO-B craft are still attached to object A, or that they have
not yet been tracked.
It is now clear that the DRO-L satellite launched by JL-3 in February is part of the same
program and was intended to test comms between the lunar bound DRO-A/B and the DRO-L in LEO.
KAIROS
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SpaceOne's KAIROS solid-propellant rocket made the inaugural launch
from Kii Spaceport in Wakayama province, Japan, on Mar 13, but was
destroyed 5 seconds into flight. It carried a test satellite for the
Japanese government's rapid-replacement spy satellite project.
Queqiao-2
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On Mar 20 China launched a CZ-8 from Wenchang to place the 1200 kg Queqiao-2 relay satellite in a translunar orbit.
Two small technology spacecraft, the 61 kg Tiandu-1 and the 15-kg Tiandu-2, were also launched.
QQ2 will serve as a relay satellite for upcoming Chinese lunar farside missions.
On Mar 24 at 1646 UTC QQ2 made a 19 min lunar orbit insertion
burn into elliptical lunar orbit with 440 km perilune.
On Mar 24 at 1732 UTC Tiandu-1/2, still attached to each other,
made an 11 min lunar orbit insertion burn to orbit with
209 km perilune.
SAST launches
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SAST launched a CZ-2D/YZ-3 on Mar 21 and placed six Yunhai-2 satellites in orbit.
Three were placed in a 480 km orbit and three in a 1135 km orbit. The satellites are expected
to converge on an intermediate altitude orbit after some months of plane drift.
The CZ-2D second stage remains in a low parking orbit. The YZ-3 upper stage appears to have been deorbited.
NROL-123
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Rocket Lab launched an Electron from Virginia on Mar 21 placing four US military payloads in a 48 degree
inclination low Earth orbit:
the classified USA 352 for the NRO, the Mola 6U cubesat for the Naval Postgrad School, and
the Aerocube 16A/16B 6U cubesats for the Aerospace Corporation.
Table of Recent Orbital Launches
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Date UT Name Launch Vehicle Site Mission INTL. Catalog Perigee Apogee Incl Notes
Feb 17 0022 VEP-4 H3 22S Tanegashima Y2 Tech 32 664 x 670 x 98.1
CE-SAT-1E Imaging 32A?
TIRSAT Tech 32B?
Feb 17 1205 INSAT-3DS GSLV Mk II Satish Dhawan SLP Meteo 33A 158 x 38264 x 19.5
Feb 18 1452 ADRAS-J Electron Mahia LC1B Tech 34A 533 x 597 x 98.2
Feb 20 2011 Merah Putih 2 Falcon 9 Canaveral LC40 Comms 35A 316 x 54924 x 20.8
Feb 23 0411 Starlink Group 7-15 Falcon 9 Vandenberg SLC4E Comms 36 284 x 294 x 53.2
Feb 23 1130 TJS 11 Chang Zheng 5 Wenchang Sigint? 37A 218 x 35800 x 16.5
Feb 25 2206 Starlink Group 6-39 Falcon 9 Canaveral Comms 38 273 x 283 x 43.1
Feb 28 EXO-0 Spacevan-001, LEO Tech 23174DK 513 x 529 x 97.5
Feb 29 0543 Meteor-M No. 2-4 Soyuz-2-1B/Fregat Vostochniy Weather 39A 812 x 824 x 98.6
Pars-1 Imaging 39B? 486 x 511 x 97.4
Marafon-D GVM Tech 39V? 731 x 751 x 89.0
Zorkiy-2M No. 2 Imaging 39C? 486 x 511 x 97.4
SITRO-AIS-29 to 36 Comms 39 486 x 511 x 97.4
SITRO-AIS-49 to 52 Comms 39 486 x 511 x 97.4
SITRO-AIS-25 to 28 Comms 39 503 x 747 x 95.4
Feb 29 1303 HWGGW 01 Chang Zheng 3B Xichang Comms 40A 236 x 35830 x 27.7
Feb 29 1530 Starlink Group 6-40 Falcon 9 Canaveral Comms 41A 273 x 283 x 43.1
Mar 4 0353 Dragon Crew-8 Falcon 9 Kennedy LC39A Spaceship 42A 191 x 215 x 51.6
Mar 4 2205 Transporter-10 Falcon 9 Vandenberg SLC4E Rideshare 43 508 x 529 x 97.5
Mar 4 2356 Starlink Group 6-41 Falcon 9 Canaveral Comms 44 273 x 283 x 43.1
Mar 10 2305 Starlink Group 6-43 Falcon 9 Canaveral Comms 45 273 x 283 x 43.1
Mar 11 0409 Starlink Group 7-17 Falcon 9 Vandenberg SLC4E Comms 46 284 x 294 x 53.2
Mar 12 1503 Strix 3 Electron Mahia LC1B Radar 47A 553 x 579 x 97.6
Mar 13 0201 KAIROS TUGKE KAIROS Kii Imaging F01 -6378 x 0 x 97
Mar 13 1251 DRO-A/DRO-B Chang Zheng 2C/YZ-1S Xichang Lunar 48A 525 x 132577 x 27.7
Mar 14 1325 Starship 28 Starship Starbase OLP1 Test U01 -54 x 234 x 26.5
Mar 16 0021 Starlink Group 6-44 Falcon 9 Kennedy LC39A Comms 49 279 x 288 x 43.0
Mar 19 0228 Starlink Group 7-16 Falcon 9 Vandenberg SLC4E Comms 50 305 x 314 x 53.2
USA 350? Unk 50 305 x 314 x 53.2
USA 351? Unk 50 305 x 314 x 53.2
Mar 20 0031 Queqiao-2 Chang Zheng 8 Wenchang LC201 Lunar 51A 200 x 420000 x 22.6
Tiandu-1 Lunar 51B? 200 x 420000 x 22.6
Tiandu-2 Lunar 51C? 200 x 420000 x 22.6
Mar 21 0527 Yunhai-2 02 zu 01 xing Chang Zheng 2D/YZ-3 Jiuquan Weather 52A 1130 x 1140 x 50.1
Yunhai-2 02 zu 02 xing Weather 52B 1130 x 1140 x 50.1
Yunhai-2 02 zu 03 xing Weather 52C 1130 x 1140 x 50.1
Yunhai-2 02 zu 04 xing Weather 52D 475 x 486 x 50.1
Yunhai-2 02 zu 05 xing Weather 52E 475 x 486 x 50.1
Yunhai-2 02 zu 06 xing Weather 52F 475 x 486 x 50.1
Mar 21 0725 USA 352 Electron MARS Pad 0C Tech 53A 500?x500? x48
Mola Tech 53B
Aerocube 16A Tech 53C
Aerocube 16B Tech 53D
Mar 21 2055 Dragon CRS-30 Falcon 9 Canaveral LC40 Cargo 54A 193 x 211 x 51.7
Mar 23 1236 Soyuz MS-25 Soyuz-2-1a Baykonur LC31 Spaceship 55A 330 x 367 x 51.6
Mar 24 0309 Starlink Group 6-42 Falcon 9 Kennedy LC39A Comms 56 284 x 292 x 43.0
Table of Recent Suborbital Launches
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Date UT Payload Rocket Site Mission Apogee Target
Feb 15 1442 TEXUS 59 VSB-30 ESRANGE Microgravity 264 ESRANGE
Feb 27 0727 MAPHEUS-14 Red Kite/IM ESRANGE Microgravity 265 ESRANGE
Mar 1 Yars RV Yars Plesetsk Op. test 1000? Kura
Mar 11 RV x 3? Agni 5 Kalam Island Test 800? Indian Ocean
Mar 12 0515 REXUS 32 Orion ESRANGE Microgravity 80? ESRANGE
Mar 14 1200 REXUS 31 Orion ESRANGE Microgravity 80? ESRANGE
Mar 24 0945 TEXUS 60 VSB-30 ESRANGE Microgravity 264? ESRANGE
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| Jonathan McDowell | |
| Somerville MA 02143 | inter : planet4589 at gmail |
| USA | twitter: @planet4589 |
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