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SpaceFlight
A British Interplanetary Society publication
Volume 61 No.2 February 2019 £5.25
Sun-skimmer
phones home
Rolex in
space
Skyrora
soars
ESA uploads
02>
to the ISS
9 770038 634089
From polar platform
to free-flier
CONTENTS
Features
18 Satellites, lightning trackers and space robots
Space historian Gerard van de Haar FBIS has
researched the plethora of European payloads
carried to the International Space Station by
SpaceX Dragon capsules. He describes the wide
range of scientific and technical experiments 4
supporting a wide range of research initiatives.
Letter from the Editor
24 In search of a role
Without specific planning, this Former scientist and spacecraft engineer Dr Bob
issue responds to an influx of
Parkinson MBE, FBIS takes us back to the
news about unmanned space
vehicles departing, dying out and
origins of the International Space Station and
arriving at their intended explains his own role in helping to bring about a
destinations. Pretty exciting stuff British contribution – only to see it migrate to an
– except the dying bit because it unmanned environmental monitoring platform.
appears that Opportunity, roving
around Mars for more than 14 30 Shake, rattle and Rolex 18
years, has finally succumbed to a On the 100th anniversary of the company’s birth,
global dust storm. Philip Corneille traces the international story
Some 12 pages of this issue are behind a range of Rolex watches used by
COVER: PARKER SOLAR PROBE IMAGINED AS IT MIGHT APPEAR APPROACHING ITS CLOSE PASS OF THE SUN / NASA/APL
concerned with aspects of the
astronauts and cosmonauts in training and in
International Space Station, now
well into its stride as a research space, plus one that made it to the Moon.
facility, and a further six pages
reflect on how the UK got involved
34 Reach for the Skyrora
during the 1980s courtesy of a Ken MacTaggart FBIS tracks down the company
former President of the BIS who building the first domestic UK satellite launcher
was central to those in 50 years and explains how it can revolutionise
developments. low-cost services for small satellites, as well as 24
Forward to the future again and igniting a resurgence in rocket development.
a fascinating insight into a
company based in Edinburgh that
plans to put Britain back in the
launcher business, this time
sending small satellites into space.
Regulars
This is a long overdue feature of 4 Behind the news
Britain’s resurgent presence in a Feeling the heat / …what now, Voyager? /
broader spectrum of space Opportunity: is this really the end?
industry activities. And who knows
where they will end up! 10 Opinion
But there is much more and a 30
12 ISS Report
lot besides as we move toward
momentous celebrations in this, 9 November – 8 December 2018
the year of Apollo at 50! 36 Multi-media
The latest space-related books, games, videos
38 Satellite Digest
553 – November 2018
David Baker 42 Letters to the Editor
david.baker@bis-space.com The long wait / Impetus or inspiration?
44 Society news / Diary
What’s happened/ What’s coming up 34
OUR MISSION STATEMENT Editor David Baker, PhD, BSc, FBIS, FRHS Sub Editor Ann Page Creative Consultant Andrée Wilson Design & Production
MP3 Media Promotion Gillian Norman Advertising Tel: +44 (0)20 7735 3160 Email: d.baker146@btinternet.com
The British Interplanetary Society Distribution Warners Group Distribution, The Maltings, Manor Lane, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9PH, England Tel: +44 (0)1778
promotes the exploration and 391 000 Fax: +44 (0)1778 393 668 SpaceFlight, Arthur C. Clarke House, 27-29 South Lambeth Road, London SW8 1SZ,
England Tel: +44 (0)20 7735 3160 Email: spaceflight@bis-space.com www.bis-space.com
use of space for the benefit
Published monthly by the British Interplanetary Society, SpaceFlight is a publication that promotes the mission of the British
of humanity, connecting people Interplanetary Society. Opinions in signed articles are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of
to create, educate and inspire, the Editor or the Council of the British Interplanetary Society. Registered Company No: 402498. Registered charity No:
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© 2019 British Interplanetary Society 2017 ISSN 0038-6340. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced
all aspects of astronautics. or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording by any information
storage or retrieval system without written permission for the Publishers. Photocopying permitted by license only.
SpaceFlight Vol 61 February 2019 3
BEHIND THE NEWS
Members of the Parker Solar Probe mission team at Johns Hopkins APL celebrate on 7 November 2018, after receiving a beacon
indicating the spacecraft is in good health following its first perihelion.
FEELING THE HEAT
Weeks after Parker Solar Probe made the closest-ever approach to a star,
the data it returned is now falling into the hands of mission scientists.
IT IS A MOMENT THAT many in the field have been associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission
anticipating for years, thinking about what they'll do Directorate. “Parker is the culmination of six decades
with never-before-seen data that has the potential to of scientific progress. Now, we have realized
shed new light on the physics of our star, the Sun. humanity’s first close visit to our star, which will have
Engineers and controllers report that Parker Solar implications not just here on Earth, but for a deeper
Probe is alive and well after skimming the Sun just understanding of our universe.”
24.8 million kilometres above the surface. This is far Mission controllers at the Johns Hopkins
closer than any spacecraft has gone before – the University Applied Physics Lab (APL) received the
previous record was set by Helios B in 1976 – and status beacon from the spacecraft at 4:46 pm EST
has exposed Parker to intense heat and solar on 7 November 2018. The beacon indicates status "A"
radiation in a complex solar wind environment. – the best of all the four possible status signals,
“Parker Solar Probe was designed to take care of meaning that Parker Solar Probe was operating well
itself and its precious payload during this close with all instruments running and collecting science
approach, with no control from us on Earth — and data. If there were any minor issues, they were
now we know it succeeded”, said Thomas Zurbuchen, resolved autonomously by the spacecraft.
4 Vol 61 February 2019 SpaceFlight
BEHIND THE NEWS
IMAGES: NASA/JOHNS HOPKINS APL (LEFT) / NASA/NAVAL RESEARCH LABORATORY (RIGHT)
This image, taken by Parker's WISPR instrument when the probe was about 16.9 million miles from the Sun's surface, shows a
coronal streamer over the east limb of the Sun. The bright dot in the middle of the picture is Jupiter.
At its closest approach on 5 November (perihelion) began downlinking to Earth.
Parker Solar Probe reached a top speed of 213,200 At about 6:00 pm EST on Friday 16 November,
km/hr, setting a new record for spacecraft speed. Parker is the mission controllers at the Johns Hopkins Applied
Along with new records for the closest approach to Physics Lab in Laurel, Maryland, received the report
the Sun, it will repeatedly break its own speed culmination of from the spacecraft, which also included information
record as its orbit draws it closer, travelling faster and about the data collected by the four instrument
faster at perihelion with each successive pass. six decades of suites during its first solar encounter. The solid state
During its first pass, the intense sunlight heated
the Sun-facing side of Parker Solar Probe's heat
scientific recorder indicated that the four suites had recorded a
significant amount of data as planned. This was
shield to about 438 °C. This will climb up to around
1,370º C as it makes even closer approaches – its
progress downloaded to Earth via the Deep Space Network
over several weeks, starting on 7 December.
instruments and systems protected all the while by In addition to helping scientists answer
the heat shield, which keeps them at a relatively fundamental questions about the physics of our star,
balmy 29 ºC. the data from the initial perihelion will help mission
controllers calibrate Parker Solar Probe’s instruments
ARRIVAL and plan future observations.
Parker Solar Probe's first solar encounter phase “The team is extremely proud to confirm that we
began on 31 October, and it continued collecting have a healthy spacecraft following perihelion”, said
data until the end of the phase on 11 November. Five APL’s Nick Pinkine, mission operations manager for
days later, the spacecraft reported that all systems Parker Solar Probe. “This is a big milestone, and
were operating well in the first detailed performance we’re looking forward to some amazing science data
and health update to be sent to Earth since the coming down in a few weeks.”
encounter began. Even so, it took several weeks During the 11-day solar encounter, the spacecraft
after the end of the phase before the science data executed only one autonomous “momentum
SpaceFlight Vol 61 February 2019 5
BEHIND THE NEWS
Briefing dump” – a procedure in which are waiting in the corona", she said.
VIRGIN GALACTIC
small thrusters are used to adjust Parker Solar Probe is named for
the speed of Parker’s reaction Eugene Parker, the physicist who
wheels. The wheels' rate of spin is first theorized the existence of the
adjusted to maintain the desired solar wind – the Sun's constant
orientation of the spacecraft relative outpouring of material – in 1958.
to the Sun. Momentum dumps are "This is the first NASA mission to be
expected during solar encounters, named for a living individual”, said
as the wheels spin up to counter Fox. "Gene Parker’s revolutionary
increased torque from the paper predicted the heating and
gravitational effects of the solar expansion of the corona and solar
environment. Executing only one wind. Now, with Parker Solar Probe,
dump indicates that the spacecraft we are able to truly understand
is well balanced, minimizing the what drives that constant flow out
need for dumps during future solar to the edge of the heliosphere.”
encounters and saving propellant. Our Sun's influence is far-
Parker Solar Probe’s second reaching. The solar wind fills up the
perihelion will occur on 4 April 2019. inner part of our solar system,
However, during its seven-year creating a bubble that envelops the
mission lifetime, it will perform a planets and extends far past the
total of 24 perihelia, the last three orbit of Neptune. Embedded in its
of which will bring it to within seven energised particles and solar
million kilometres of the solar material, the solar wind carries with
surface – a mere whisker given the it the Sun's magnetic field.
Sun’s diameter of 1.4 million km. Additional one-off eruptions of solar
OH SO CLOSE! material, coronal mass ejections,
Virgin Galactic’s first revenue-earning flight, COLLATION also carry this solar magnetic field
SpaceShip Two, exceeded the US Air Force On 12 December, four researchers and in both cases the magnetised
definition of the Earth-Space boundary on 13 gathered at the fall meeting of the material can interact with the
December when it achieved a record altitude American Geophysical Union in Earth's magnetic field and cause
of 82.7 km – still somewhat short of the Washington, D.C., to discuss what geomagnetic storms. Such storms
internationally recognised and legally they hope to learn from Parker Solar can trigger the aurora or even
defined boundary of 100 km known as the Probe. power outages, while other types
Karman line. Carrying four NASA science "Heliophysicists have been of solar activity can give rise to
experiments, SpaceShip Two was piloted by waiting more than 60 years for a communications problems, disrupt
Mark “Forger” Stucky and Frederick “CJ” mission like this to be possible", satellite electronics and even
Sturckow, qualifying them for space wings said Nicola Fox, director of the endanger astronauts – especially
from the Federal Aviation Administration. As Heliophysics Division at NASA HQ. beyond the protective bubble of
a four-time Shuttle pilot, Stuckow will be the (Heliophysics is the study of the Earth's magnetic field.
first recipient of both NASA and FAA wings. Sun and how it affects space near Other worlds in our solar system
Earth, around other worlds, and experience their own versions of
throughout the solar system). "The these effects, and far beyond the
GOING, GOING… solar mysteries we want to solve planets, the Sun's material butts up
Massive planets so close to their parent star
that they are evaporating are so rare that
only one had been found. Now, a second PARKER SOLAR PROBE IN CONTEXT
with an evaporating atmosphere has been
found by the Hubble Space Telescope at a As the newest addition to NASA's “Meanwhile, from a distance, we can
distance of only 5.95 million km from its host fleet of heliophysics missions, Parker observe the Sun's corona, which is
(GJ3470b). These Neptune-size bodies are Solar Probe works alongside driving the complex environment
satellites like NASA's Solar Dynamics around Parker.”
losing their atmospheres at a prodigious rate
Observatory, the Solar and Terrestrial Modelling is another critical tool
and while they are not likely to be eroded, Relations Observatory, and the for painting the complete picture
others not so lucky may ablate under intense Advanced Composition Explorer. For around Parker's observations. “Our
radiation from their parent star. More such years, decades in some cases, these simulation results provide a way to
planets are expected to be found. spacecraft have scrutinised the Sun interpret localised measurements
and its outflowing material, changing from in situ instruments like FIELDS
JPL
the way we see our star. But they are and SWEAP, as well as the more
limited by their location. global images produced by WISPR”,
Even as Parker reveals new data, said Pete Riley, a research scientist
scientists working with it will rely on at Predictive Science Inc., in San
the rest of NASA's heliophysics fleet Diego, California.
to put it in context. “Parker Solar Models are a good way to test
Probe is going to a region we've theories about the underlying physics
never visited before”, said Terry of the Sun. By creating a simulation
Kucera, a solar physicist at NASA's of a particular mechanism to explain
Goddard Space Flight Center. coronal heating – for example, a
6 Vol 61 February 2019 SpaceFlight
BEHIND THE NEWS
against the interstellar medium that
UCL MAPS
fills the space between the stars.
The interactions in this region
influence the way high-energy
cosmic rays penetrate the solar
system. All of these effects result
from complicated systems, but
they all start back at the Sun,
making it vital to understand the
fundamental physics that drive its
activity.
THE “WHY” OF IT ALL
Parker Solar Probe is designed to
address three major questions
about the physics of the Sun. First:
how is the Sun's outer atmosphere,
the corona, heated to temperatures
about 300 times higher than the
visible surface below? Second: how
is the solar wind accelerated so
quickly to the speeds we observe?
And finally: how do some of the
Sun's most energetic particles
rocket away from the Sun at more
than half the speed of light?
“Parker Solar Probe is providing
us with the measurements Expected now to launch in 2020, ESA’s next Sun-seeker, the Solar Orbiter spacecraft leaving the Airbus
Defence and Space satellite facility at Stevenage, UK, as Europe’s contribution to solar science.
essential to understanding solar
phenomena that have been puzzling
us for decades", says Nour Raouafi, atmosphere. coronal mass ejections
Parker Solar Probe project scientist For example Parker Solar Probe's Measurements of energetic particles
at APL. "To close the link, local imagers in the WISPR suite will give gathered as the spacecraft travels
sampling of the solar corona and a new perspective on the young through such waves will shed light on
the young solar wind is needed and solar wind, showing how it evolves the problem.
Parker is doing just that.” as the spacecraft travels through The electric field antennas of the
Parker's instruments the corona. Similarly, the ISʘIS spacecraft's FIELDS instrument suite
(SpaceFlight Vol 60, No 10) are suite will help scientists dig down can pick up radio bursts that could
designed to look at these into the causes of energetic particle explain the causes of coronal heating.
phenomena in ways that haven't acceleration. At present, theories And the Solar Probe Cup instrument,
been possible before, giving diverge on how solar energetic which extends beyond the heat shield
scientists the opportunity to make particles are accelerated within the and is fully exposed to the solar
new strides in the study of the solar thin shock waves usually driven by environment, measures the thermal
properties of different ion species in
the solar wind. Coupled with data
from FIELDS, these may reveal how
the solar wind is heated and
certain kind of plasma wave called an that drive much of its activity move accelerated.
Alfvén wave – scientists can check along with it. That creates a problem The science team also expects to
the model's prediction against actual for scientists, who can't always tell if be surprised by some of what they
data from Parker Solar Probe to see if the variability they see is driven by learn. "We don't know what to expect
they line up. If they do, that means the actual changes to the region so close to the Sun until we get the
underlying theory may explain what's producing the activity – known as data, and we'll probably see some
actually happening. temporal variation – or by solar
new phenomena", said Raouafi.
“We’ve had a lot of success material from a new source region –
predicting the structure of the solar known as spatial variation. For part of "Parker is an exploration mission —
corona during total solar eclipses,” its orbit, at least, Parker Solar Probe the potential for new discoveries is
said Riley. “Parker Solar Probe will will outrun that problem. At certain huge."
supply measurements that will further points, it travels fast enough to almost Although Parker Solar Probe's
constrain the models and the theory exactly match the Sun's rotational reports indicate that good science
that’s embedded within them.” speed, meaning that it “hovers” over data was collected during the first
Parker Solar Probe is in a unique one area of the Sun for a brief time. encounter, thanks to the relative
position to help improve the models Scientists can be therefore be certain positions of the probe, the Sun and
– in part, because of its record- that changes in data during this the Earth and their effects on radio
breaking speed. The Sun rotates period are caused by actual changes
transmission, some of it won't
about once every 27 days as viewed on the Sun, rather than simply by its
from Earth, and the solar structures rotation. downlink until after the second
encounter in April 2019. SF
SpaceFlight Vol 61 February 2019 7
BEHIND THE NEWS
LEFT
3-D rendition of
Voyager 2.
BELOW
Two diverging
plots showing
its detection of
cosmic rays and
the number of
solar particles
over time.
After exiting the heliosphere…
FOR THE SECOND TIME IN from the heliosphere came from Together, the two Voyagers have
HISTORY an object made by its onboard Plasma Science given us a glimpse of how the
humans has reached the space Experiment (PLS) – an instrument heliosphere interacts with the
between the stars. NASA's that stopped working on Voyager constant interstellar wind flowing
Voyager 2 probe now has exited 1 in 1980, long before that probe from beyond. Their observations
the heliosphere – the protective crossed the heliopause. complement data from NASA's
bubble of particles and magnetic Until recently, the space Interstellar Boundary Explorer
fields created by the Sun. surrounding Voyager 2 was filled (IBEX). NASA is also is preparing
Comparing data from different predominantly with plasma the Interstellar Mapping and
instruments aboard the flowing out from the Sun. The Acceleration Probe (IMAP), due to
trailblazing spacecraft, mission PLS uses the electrical current of launch in 2024, to capitalise on the
scientists determined the probe the plasma to detect the speed, Voyager observations.
crossed the outer edge on 5 density, temperature, pressure “Voyager has a very special
November. and flux of the solar wind. The place in our heliophysics fleet”,
This boundary, called the PLS aboard Voyager 2 observed a said Nicola Fox, director of the
heliopause, is where the steep decline in this speed on 5 Heliophysics Division at NASA HQ.
tenuous, hot solar wind meets November. Since then, the "Our studies start at the Sun and
the cold, dense interstellar instrument has observed no solar extend out to everything the solar
medium. Voyager 1 crossed it in wind flow, which makes mission wind touches. To have the
2012, but Voyager 2 carries an scientists confident the probe Voyagers sending back information
instrument that will provide has left the heliosphere. about the edge of the Sun's
first-of-its-kind observations of In addition to the plasma data, influence gives us an
the nature of the gateway into Voyager's science team has unprecedented glimpse of truly
interstellar space. evidence from three other uncharted territory."
Voyager 2 now is slightly more onboard instruments: the cosmic But while the Voyager probes
than 18 billion km from Earth. ray subsystem, the low energy may have left the heliosphere,
Mission controllers can still charged particle instrument and they have not yet departed the
communicate with it as it enters the magnetometer. Data from solar system, whose boundary is
this new phase of its journey, but these may well give an even considered to be beyond the Oort
signals take around 16.5 hours to clearer picture of the Cloud – a collection of small
reach Earth. The most compelling environment through which objects that are still under the
evidence of the spacecraft's exit Voyager 2 is now travelling. influence of the Sun's gravity. The
8 Vol 61 February 2019 SpaceFlightBEHIND THE NEWS
Briefing
IMAGES : NASA/JPL
WHO IS PAXI?
No, not the pithy former BBC presenter
but ESA’s updated education mascot,
which aims to appeal to a younger
audience with space-inspired STEM
content for primary school age. The
website is available in English, German,
Dutch, Spanish, French and Italian.
MORE KIDS' STUFF
The UK Space Agency is awarding
£325,000 to the UK Association for
Science and Discovery Centres (ASDC) to
bring space science to young families
ABOVE across the UK by creating new resources
A diagram showing the relative positions of the Voyager probes in 2012. In the six years
since, both spacecraft are thought to have safely crossed crossed the heliopause.
based on real scientific and engineering
challenges – including those facing the
operation of UK spaceports, rockets and
spaceplanes. Up to 14 UK science centres
what now, Voyager?
and museums will deliver activities to
200,000 children and adults until March
2021, building on the success of ASDC’s
Destination Space education programme,
which reached more than 900,000 people
width of the Oort Cloud is not five years, and to conduct during Tim Peake’s Principia mission.
known precisely, but is estimated close-up studies of Jupiter and
to begin about 1,000 Saturn. But as the mission
astronomical units (AU) from the progressed, additional flybys RUSSIAN HEAVY
Sun and to extend to about were made of the two outermost Russia’s space agency Roscosmos has
100,000 AU. (One AU is the giant planets, Uranus and announced plans for a super-heavy
distance from the Sun to Earth.) Neptune, and remote-control launcher at an estimated cost of $22.6
It will take about 300 years for reprogramming endowed the billion. Tentatively given a 2028 launch
Voyager 2 to reach the inner edge Voyagers with greater capabilities date, the rocket is intended to support
of the Oort Cloud and possibly than they possessed when they circumlunar flights with a next-generation
30,000 years to fly beyond it. left Earth. At 41 years, and still spacecraft yet to be funded. Roscosmos
The Voyagers are powered by going strong, Voyager 2 is NASA's is urging the government to make a
radioisotope thermal generators longest running mission. SF decision by 15 January 2019 and is keen
(RTGs), whose power output to offer fee-paying flights around the
diminishes by about four watts Moon under a separate initiative.
per year. As a result, various
parts of the spacecraft, including
their cameras, have been turned ARTES ALOFT
off over time to conserve power. Two 5 kg satellites, designed and built by
“I think we're all happy and Spire Global, and unique due to their tiny
relieved that the Voyager probes size, low cost and quick build time, were
have both operated long enough launched from Sriharikota, India, on 29
to make it past this milestone”, November 2018. This style of satellite
said Suzanne Dodd, Project could revolutionise work in space, which
Manager at NASA's Jet has traditionally been slow and expensive
Propulsion Laboratory. “Now for business and science to access. The
we're looking forward to what satellites were developed under the
we'll learn from having both European Space Agency’s ARTES Pioneer
ABOVE
probes outside the heliopause." programme, of which the UK is the largest
Heliocentric velocity over distance from
Voyager 2 launched in 1977, 16 the Sun for Voyager 2 showing how the funder, and will aim to prove the value of
days before Voyager 1. The spacecraft received escape velocity at nanosats in weather monitoring by using
spacecraft were intended to last Jupiter almost 40 years ago. them to measure refracted radio signals
passing through the Earth’s atmosphere.
SpaceFlight Vol 61 February 2019 9Is this really the end?
WITHOUT SO MUCH as a But on 11 September 2018,
passive listening efforts for
several months in the hope that a
“dust devil” literally sweeps the
arrays clean. Such “cleaning
events” were first discovered by
“goodbye”, NASA’s Mars rover data from MARCI showed that the Mars rover teams in 2004
Opportunity has fallen silent and the tau estimate – a measure of when, on several occasions,
may never be heard from again. Its the amount of haze in the Martian battery power levels aboard both
last communication with Earth was atmosphere – in the skies above Opportunity and its twin Spirit
on 10 June, just before it was the rover's current resting place in increased by several percent
overwhelmed by a major dust Perseverance Valley was below during a single Martian night.
storm. Its current health is 1.5 for two consecutive readings. Even if the team hears back
unknown. Now, Opportunity A month after that, JPL engineers from Opportunity, there is no
engineers are relying on data from reported they were employing a guarantee that it will still be
the Mars Color Imager (MARCI) on combination of listening and operational. However, the team is
NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance commanding methods in case cautiously optimistic, knowing
Orbiter (MRO) to estimate the Opportunity is still operational. that the little rover has overcome
opacity near the rover’s position. In the unlikely event that the many such challenges during its
“The dust haze produced by the rover's solar arrays are simply 14-plus years on Mars. In 2005, it
global dust storm of 2018 is one of blocked by dust, starving it of lost its right front steering,
the most extensive on record”, said energy, the team plan to continue followed by its left front steering
MRO Project Scientist Rich Zurek in
August. “If we don't hear back after
45 days, we'll be forced to conclude
that the Sun-blocking dust and the
Martian cold have conspired to
cause some type of fault from
which the rover will more than likely
not recover”.
Briefing Opinion
HUMANS OR ROBOTS?
COMSAT CANCELLED
Boeing has cancelled a contentious satellite
order financed via a Chinese government-
owned firm on the basis of default by
non-payment. Nearing completion, the AS WE ALL BECOME A LITTLE STARRY-EYED reflecting on the magnificent
satellite will probably be sold to another success of the dramatic Apollo missions 50 years ago, spare a thought for the
customer. The move follows an investigation largely unsung heroes who daily tend the less dramatic but equally laudable
of China’s veiled and circuitous route to constellation of unmanned, deep-space emissaries that bring results pivotal to
obtaining the satellite, ostensibly our understanding of the solar system and of life itself.
manoeuvring its way around regulations and A progression of discovery, enabled by innovation, sustains a deepening
US export controls in funding the $200 million commitment to planetary exploration – and to autonomous and semi-robotic
order. Security concerns had been expressed probes that define the content of our celestial back-yard. Investment in this broad
regarding the intent of the buyer. band of investigation is essential, for it is through basic research that the
fundamental principles governing the very origin of matter rub shoulders with a
better understanding of structures at physical, chemical and biological levels.
BOING
As we move toward a bigger investment in human space flight, should we be
worried that its voracious demand on budgets will stunt the work that underpins
basic exploration and exciting discoveries that ensue? Are we locked into
human space flight for its own sake? Its costs have frequently been at the
expense of essential, but less popularly dramatic, unmanned programmes. Is this
something we should guard against; something we should avoid?
Since President Kennedy chastised NASA Administrator James Webb for
attempting to engage the agency in broader objectives than the Moon alone,
science has paid the bills demanded by high-cost, vote-catching manned space
projects. It happened again during the 1970s, when NASA’s budget fell through
the floor – and again in the 1980s, when the Space Shuttle demanded yet more
10 Vol 61 February 2019 SpaceFlightBEHIND THE NEWS
in June 2017, and its 256 Mb flash
memory is no longer functioning.
In fact, almost everything aboard
the rover is well beyond its
warranty period. Opportunity and
Spirit were both built for 90-day
missions, yet Spirit lasted 20
times longer than this and
Opportunity nearly 60 times
longer. Equally, the rovers were
designed to travel 1,000 metres,
whereas Opportunity has logged
an incredible 45.16 km. Through
thick and thin, it has soldiered on.
Now, engineers and scientists are
hoping this latest dilemma is just
another bump in the Martian road.
“In a situation like this you
hope for the best, but plan for all
eventualities”, said Project
Manager John Callas. “We are all
pulling for our tenacious rover to
pull her feet from the fire one
more time. And if she does, we
will be there to hear her.”
The windy period on Mars,
known to the team as “dust-
IMAGES: NASA/JPL
clearing season”, occurs from
November to January, so NASA
will review the situation at the
end of January 2019 and decide
whether to pursue attempts to
contact the rover, 15
years after it landed. SF
The last resting place for Opportunity? A view across Perseverance Valley on Sol 4959 in January 2018.
Briefing
ADELAIDE ON THE “UP”
The success of relatively low-cost science and planetary Australia’s new National Space Agency
missions should not be upstaged by popular, PR- (ANSA) is to be located at Lot 14 of the old
Royal Adelaide hospital. With an annual
grabbing headlines on sending humans into space budget of $41 million it will engage with
industry and commercial organisations to
connect indigenous assets with the global
money. In fact, by proclaiming a capacity to launch 60 flights year, the budget for space market. Australia has a long and
the actual payloads to fly on Shuttle missions was completely left out. proud history in space, being with the site
Over time, a balance between manned and unmanned programmes was sought of British rocket tests in the 1940s, 50s
but hardly realised. Today the International Space Station is only just getting into and 60s, and later of NASA deep-space
its stride for want of funds among its user-base. Now we are faced with a tracking and communications, including a
scramble for dollars once more and already the costly SLS/Orion programme is prominent role in the Apollo missions.
scraping the barrel for money. At the cost of science and unmanned
programmes? Not quite so much this time, but the writing is on the wall.
ANSA
One very big elephant in the room where money is concerned is the balance
between what we do because of what we ”can” and what we do because we
“should”. The success of relatively low-cost science and planetary missions
should not be upstaged by popular, PR-grabbing headlines on sending humans
into space – laudable as that is, so long as it is productive. But if there is no
compelling need to do so: remember the many scientists, engineers, technicians
and managers who each day, around the clock, proudly guide our robotic
emissaries to inaccessible places where no human feet will ever tread.
SpaceFlight applauds and supports a sustainable human presence in space –
but synergistically, and not at the expense of the funding essential to push the
frontiers of space far beyond human access SF David Baker
SpaceFlight Vol 61 February 2019 11ISS REPORT
ISS Report 9 November – 8 December 2018
BELOW ROSCOSMOS / RIGHT: NASA
Expedition 57 is into its second month of operations. The
crew returned to six in early December, when ESA German
commander Alexander Gerst, American Serena Auñón-
Chancellor and Russian Sergey Prokopyev were joined by
new Soyuz arrivals American Anne McClain, Russian Oleg
Kononenko, and Canadian David Saint-Jacques.
Report by George Spiteri
12 Vol 61 February 2019 SpaceFlightISS REPORT
time) and was retrieved by Japanese recovery ships
over three hours later.
Meanwhile, Prokopyev cleaned and stowed
the chamber of the PK-4 experiment and assisted
his colleagues with regular maintenance and
household chores during the crew’s light-duty
weekend 10/11 November.
On 12 November, Gerst and Auñón-Chancellor
conducted further work with the PK-4 study
and checked and watered the plants inside the
Veg-03 facility, whilst Prokopyev took part in the
Morze psycho-physiological test and the Splanh
biomedical experiment.
The following day, Gerst began four days of
work inside Columbus with ESA’s Crew Interactive
MObile companioN (CIMON) free-flying robot
which aims to obtain the first insights into the
effects on crew support with the help of artificial
intelligence. He admitted in a tweet he “had so
much FUN” testing his “skills for the first time” on
the station with the German built device. Auñón-
Chancellor performed various maintenance tasks
and worked with the Life Sciences Glovebox (LSG)
before the United States Orbital Segment (USOS)
O
crew joined Prokopyev for a series of routine eye
n 9 November the three person crew of ABOVE examinations in conjunction with doctors on the
Gerst, Auñón-Chancellor and Prokopyev Two spacecraft at the ISS: ground.
the Northrop Grumman
worked with NASA’s Veg-03 and Gerst teamed up with Prokopyev on 14
Cygnus cargo craft from the
Biomolecule Extraction and Sequencing United States (left) attached November to practice manual docking techniques
Technology (BEST) experiments. Gerst to the Unity module and for the imminent arrival of the next Progress
also studied how astronauts perceive time in space still in the grip of the unmanned vehicle in case the automatic system
and configured a specialised microscope for further Canadarm2 robotic arm, and failed. The Station’s commander moved on to assist
the Russian Soyuz MS-09
protein crystal observations, whilst his Russian crew ship from Roscosmos Auñón-Chancellor to practice robotics operations
colleague continued his week-long research with docked to the Rassvet for Cygnus’ arrival.
the joint Russian/ESA Plasma-Kristall-4 (PK-4) module. On 15 November, the trio conducted further
investigation. eye tests, worked with NASA’s Meteor experiment,
JAXA reported that the Kounotori-7 (White which examines the chemical composition
Stork-7) unmanned cargo craft “successfully of meteors entering Earth’s atmosphere and
re-entered the atmosphere after the third de- completed another of NASA’s Food Acceptability
orbit manoeuvre” at 21:14 UTC on 10 November questionnaires, which look at the nutritional intake
resulting in the spacecraft conducting a planned of ISS crewmembers.
destructive re-entry over the north western Pacific
Ocean. Following the de-orbit burn Kounotori PROGRESS AT LAST
ABOVE RIGHT
released the HTV Small Re-entry Capsule (HSRC) Serena Auñón-Chancellor Progress MS-10/71P was launched from Baikonur
containing approximately 20 kg of science performs plumbing duties at 18:14 UTC on 16 November (00:14 17 November
experiments, including samples from a Japanese inside the International local time) atop a Soyuz-FG rocket. This followed
Protein Crystal Growth investigation. The 840 Space Station's toilet, also the recent Soyuz MS-10 abort (SpaceFlight Vol
known as the Waste and
mm diameter capsule splashed down in the Pacific Hygiene Compartment,
61, No 1, pp 7-8) and paved the way for the
Ocean off the south eastern Japanese coast at 22:06 located in the Tranquility next crewed Soyuz mission. Progress docked
UTC on 10 November (07:06 11 November local module. to the aft port of Zvezda at 19:28 UTC on 18
SpaceFlight Vol 61 February 2019 13ISS REPORT
LEFT
Expedition 58 crew
members Anne McClain
of NASA (left), Oleg
Kononenko of Roscosmos
(centre) and David Saint-
Jacques of the Canadian
Space Agency hold “launch
keys” presented to them
during a tour of the launch
facility at Baikonur. On 3
December they lifted off
safely aboard Soyuz flight
MS-11 (top).
14 Vol 61 February 2019 SpaceFlightISS REPORT
November as the complex flew 405.5 km above in Station history that two cargo spacecraft
Algeria. Progress delivered 1,300 kg of dry cargo, had arrived “in one day” and praised the “great
including food, experiments and spare parts, Asked what they teamwork” that made it possible.
725 kg of propellant, 420 kg of water and 50 kg
of compressed air and oxygen to replenish the missed most, the BIRTHDAY FEASTS
atmosphere on the ISS. Three hours later, following It was a red-letter day on 20 November, marking
leak checks, Prokopyev began immediately station’s the 20th anniversary of the launch of Zarya, the
unloading critical science hardware to the station. first element of the station in 1998 (SpaceFlight Vol
Following two delays due to weather, Northrop
commander listed 40, No12, p 457). To commemorate the event Gerst
Grumman launched their Cygnus unmanned
cargo spacecraft, (NG-10) atop an Antares 230
several things tweeted; “Congratulations” to all ISS partners and
past crews, adding that he felt “privileged to serve
rocket from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport including “really on the greatest machine ever built”. The crew also
(MARS) launch pad 0A at Wallops, Virginia at took time out to answer questions via Facebook
09:01 UTC (04:01 local time) on 17 November. great food, like Live. Asked what they missed most, the station’s
Cygnus was grappled by Canadarm2 at 10:28 UTC commander listed several things including “really
on 19 November as the Station flew 421.6 km above salads” in addition great food, like salads” in addition to “taking a
the southern Indian Ocean. Named in honour of shower….November rain” and “a walk in the forest”.
pioneer astronaut John Young, the spacecraft was to “taking a Auñón-Chancellor spent most of the following
berthed onto the Earth facing port of Unity over
two hours later at 12:31 UTC. Cygnus delivered
shower…. day inside Kibo working on life support gear and
later joined Gerst for a debriefing about the progress
3,268 kg of pressurised cargo, including a new 3D
printer and an experiment which aims at growing
November rain” of Cygnus cargo operations. Prokopyev worked
on Russian life support gear and continued with
crystals to fight Parkinson’s disease and 82 kg of and “a walk in the unloading items from Progress.
unpressurised cargo. The crew enjoyed US Thanksgiving Day on
Auñón-Chancellor and Gerst began several forest”. 22 November with light-duty activities. Gerst
days of unloading Cygnus. NASA Deputy ISS and Auñón-Chancellor sent down a short video
Programme Manager, Joel Montalbano reassured message wishing everyone their best wishes from
reporters that having a crew of three was “not an space for the holiday. Auñón-Chancellor told
issue” when transferring cargo from two newly viewers “we’ve got everything from turkey to
arrived spacecraft, “critical science samples will candied yams, to stuffing, to special spicy pound
get unloaded first….then we unload as necessary”. cakes, we’re very excited”.
Gerst proudly tweeted that this was first time On 23 November, the crew resumed unloading
MAY THE FOREST BE WITH YOU!
An acronym for the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation,
GEDI, pronounced like JEDI of Star Wars fame, is a first of its kind
laser instrument designed to map the world’s forests in 3D. GEDI
will aim to provide answers as to how deforestation has
contributed to atmospheric C02 concentrations, how much carbon
forests will absorb in the future and how habitat degradation will
affect global biodiversity.
GEDI will observe nearly all tropical and temperate forests
using a self-contained laser altimeter on the ISS. The data will be
of great value for forest and water resource management, carbon
cycle and weather predictions. PI Dr. Dubayah said “scientists
have been planning for decades to get comprehensive
information about the structure of forests from space to deepen
our understanding of how this structure impacts carbon
resources and biodiversity across large regions and even The GEDI instrument gets a checkout before launch.
globally, as well as a host of other science issues”.
GEDI's three lasers will produce eight ground tracks – two of
the lasers will generate two ground tracks each, and the third will mission in mid-2019, but the team at Goddard who is building and
generate four. As the space station and GEDI orbit Earth, laser testing GEDI was always on track to deliver a finished instrument
pulses will reflect off clouds, trees and the planet's surface. by the fall of this year”, said Project Manager Jim Pontius,
While the instrument will gather height information about making the move to an earlier resupply mission feasible.
everything in its path, it is specifically designed to measure NASA selected the proposal for GEDI in 2014 through the Earth
forests. The amount and intensity of the light that bounces back Venture Instrument programme, which is run by NASA’s Earth
to GEDI's telescope will reveal details about the height and System Science Pathfinder (ESSP) office. ESSP oversees a
density of trees and vegetation, and even the structure of leaves portfolio of projects ranging from satellites, instruments on the
and branches within a forest's canopy. space station and sub-orbital field campaigns on Earth that are
NASA has flown multiple Earth-observing lidars in space, designed to be lower-cost and more focused in scope than larger,
notably the ICESat (Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite) and free-flying satellite missions.
CALIPSO (Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite GEDI was built at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Centre and is a
Observation) missions. But GEDI will be the first to provide joint NASA/University of Maryland project. GEDI will be moved
high-resolution laser ranging of Earth's forests. from Dragon’s trunk and mounted on the Japanese Experiment
“GEDI originally was scheduled to launch aboard a resupply Module-External Facility (JEM-EF).
SpaceFlight Vol 61 February 2019 15ISS REPORT
items from Cygnus and Progress. They also
worked with the Multi-use Variable-g Platform
(MVP) facility and conducted a status check on
NASA’s Microgravity Experiment Research Locker
Incubator (MERLIN) freezer.
The crew continued with cargo transfers during
their light-duty weekend 24/25 November. Gerst
began the working week on 26 November observing
protein crystals associated with Parkinson’s disease,
whilst Auñón-Chancellor jotted down her space
experiences as part of CSA’s At Home In Space
(AHIS) psychological study and later set up
hardware for a semiconductor crystal experiment.
Gerst devoted a second day to working with
the protein crystals study on 27 November, whilst
Auñón-Chancellor researched how cement hardens
in space and continued setting up hardware for
the semiconductor study. Prokopyev spent most
of the day configuring the Russian segment for
a rescheduled space walk in mid-December
(SpaceFlight Vol 61, No1, p 8) and the following
day he began preparing the Soyuz spacecraft for its
return to Earth.
The crew were photographed inside the Bigelow
Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) on 29 ABOVE for an impending Russian EVA to inspect the
November as Bigelow Aerospace tweeted that Serena Auñón-Chancellor damage which caused the pressure leak to Soyuz
is pictured mixing protein
“BEAM has successfully completed its mission as a MS-09 the previous August (SpaceFlight Vol 60,
crystal samples to help
technology demonstration”. BEAM was “officially scientists understand No11, pp 13-14).
certified by NASA for a life extension on the space how they work. Proteins Following a one day delay to allow ground teams
station”. crystallized in microgravity to replace contaminated food bars aboard Dragon
On 30 November, Auñón-Chancellor conducted are often higher in quality for 40 mice who are part of the Rodent Research-8
than those grown on Earth
more work solidifying cement in microgravity and and present opportunities (RR-8) experiment, SpaceX launched Dragon atop
worked with the Cemsica technology experiment, for the development of new a Falcon 9 rocket on the Commercial Resupply
whilst Prokopyev continued to prepare for the drugs to treat disease. Services-16 (CRS-16) mission at 18:16 UTC (13:16
upcoming spacewalk and Gerst ended the week local time) on 5 December from Space Launch
with further experiments on protein crystals. Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
The crew enjoyed another light-duty weekend (CCAFS).
1/2 December conducting regular housekeeping …landing intact, it This particular Dragon was making its second
chores, exercising and talking to family and friends. visit to the ISS having previously flown on the CRS-
tipped over in the 10 mission in 2017 (SpaceFlight Vol 59, No 5, p
SOYUZ SUCCESS 169). Approximately eight minutes after launch, the
ISS programme managers breathed a collective sigh water about 3.21 booster’s first stage failed to land as planned back at
of relief when Soyuz MS-11/57S was successfully Landing Zone 1 at CCAFS; although landing intact
launched from Baikonur’s Site 1 at 11:31 UTC km off the Florida it tipped over in the water about 3.21 km off the
(17:31 local time) on 3 December atop a Soyuz-FG
rocket carrying spacecraft commander, Russian
coast Florida coast. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk tweeted this
was due to a “Grid fin hydraulic pump” stalling and
aeronautical engineer Oleg Kononenko (54) on his the booster “Appears to be undamaged”.
fourth spaceflight, and rookies, US Army Colonel Dragon was grappled by Canadarm2 some 1
Anne McClain (39) and Canadian astrophysicist hr 21 min later than planned at 12:21 UTC on 8
and doctor David Saint-Jacques (48). Soyuz docked December due to a communications problem with
to Poisk after four orbits and over six and a half a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS)
hours later at 17:33 UTC as the Station flew 403.9 as the complex flew 400.7 km above the Pacific
km above the Atlantic Ocean. RIGHT Ocean north of Papua New Guinea. Over three
The hatches were opened over two hours later A current view of the ISS and a quarter hours later at 15:36 UTC ground
from above the Russian
at 19:37 UTC returning the ISS to a six person Service Module (bottom) controllers berthed Dragon on the Earth facing port
complement. The new arrivals spoke to space with its solar cells and the of Harmony. Dragon delivered 2,523 kg of supplies,
officials, family and friends during the traditional MRM-2 module on top at hardware and experiments to the ISS.
welcoming ceremony inside Zvezda, which was the docking port with the Two key investigations housed in Dragon’s
Functional Cargo Block
followed by the mandatory safety drill headed by unpressurised trunk were the Robotic Refueling
– the second of Russia's
Gerst. main pressurised modules Mission-3 (RRM-3) which Project Manager Jill
On 4 December, Kononenko, McClain and attached to NASA's PMA-1 McGuire said will “help satellites to live longer” and
Saint-Jacques began several days familiarising and the Unity module at the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation
themselves with their new orbital home, whilst top. Note the Bigelow (GEDI) laser altimeter, whose goal according to
expendable module on
Gerst and Auñón-Chancellor prepared for the Node 3 at top left and the Principal Investigator (PI) Dr Ralph Dubayah “is
arrival of the next unmanned Dragon spacecraft Airlock Module just visible really fairly simple, it’s to use laser beams to
and Prokopyev joined Kononenko in preparations at top right. measure how tall trees are globally”. SF
16 Vol 61 February 2019 SpaceFlightISS
ESA
Catch a satellite…
track lightning…
…or chat with a
space
Research payloads from Europe or with a European contribution are on nearly
all US cargo vessels to the International Space Station. Here, we describe the
larger ISS science payloads with European involvement launched on SpaceX
Dragon capsules in the period February 2017 to June 2018.
by Gerard van de Haar FBIS
T
he SAGE-III, Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas ABOVE flew 1979-81 on board the AEM-B satellite and had
Experiment-III, is a NASA instrument built ESA astronaut only four spectral channels but was instrumental in
as part of the EOS (Earth Observing System) Alexander Gerst gathering data on the ozone hole above Antarctica for
gets up close
programme, and consists of an grating and personal nearly three years.
spectrometer that measures near-UV/visible/ with the seventh It was followed by SAGE-II in 1984 on the ERBS
near-IR energy through the Earth's limb during solar crewmember satellite (launched on Shuttle 41G with astronaut
and lunar occultations and limb scattering during the aboard the ISS Sally Ride shaking a stuck solar panel free) and
– the robo-head
daytime side of the orbit. The goal is to determine the CIMON, first on
SAGE-II operated until 2005 making many important
spatial distributions of stratospheric aerosols, ozone, a path to true AI observations in seven wavelengths on the chemistry
nitrogen dioxide, water vapour and cloud occurrence data banks. and dynamic motions of the Earth's upper troposphere
by mapping vertical profiles and calculating monthly and stratosphere (10-40 km high).
averages of each. Next up was the first SAGE-III instrument which
As the name implies, SAGE-III comes from an operated on the Russian Meteor-3M satellite 2001-6.
earlier series of instruments. First up was a small A duplicate SAGE-III is now on the ISS; it operates
precursor device called SAM flying on the nine-day as a true follow-on instrument in multi-wavelengths,
Apollo-Soyuz manned flight back in 1975; SAGE-I measuring the whole atmosphere. A third SAGE-III is
18 Vol 61 February 2019 SpaceFlightSLUG
robot
kept in storage.
SAGE-III weighs 527 kg (including its Nadir
“MUSES is the first multiuser platform facility for
truss mounted external payloads on the ISS”, said Paul
Viewing Platform, NVP) and is approximately 2 x “MUSES is Galloway, its programme manager at TBE, days before
1 x 1 m large; the instrument was built by NASA the launch. “It has huge data downlink capability (and)
Langley, Ball, ESA’s ESTEC and TAS-Italy with ESA’s not a science gives us multiple viewing angles too. MUSES is not a
Hexapod device being instrumental in keeping SAGE’s science instrument, it’s a technology. It expands one ISS
tracking as stable as possible. SAGE-III was installed instrument, external payload site into four.”
by the Canadarm2 on ISS’s external ELC-4 platform
on 5 March 2017, two weeks after launch. First data
it’s a The MUSES pointing accuracy is better than 30
arc seconds, which corresponds to about 60 m on the
products were released in October 2017 showing
evidence of further ozone layer recovery, initially
technology. It ground at the nominal ISS altitude of 400 km. “The
repeated exposure to the Earth’s land masses gives you
observed by SAGE-II; a year later first results were expands one a good revisit time for target areas. MUSES’ ability
presented at a NASA Colloquium. to point and track ground targets also enhances the
ISS external revisit opportunities and viewing angles”, Mr. Galloway
EARTH GAZERS pointed out.
MUSES (Multiple User System for Earth Sensing) payload site In a recent phone interview Mr. Jack Ickes, TBE
is an external platform developed specifically to
carry multiple 50-100 kg class Earth observation
into four“ Senior Vice-President of Geospatial Solutions, added:
“Early during construction of MUSES, contact with
instruments. It was developed by Teledyne Brown DLR was established and soon the German Aerospace
Engineering (TBE) in Huntsville, Alabama, who Centre expressed their intention to provide a large
supplies other ISS payloads like the glovebox remote sensing sensor for one of the four slots.”
series, crystal growth furnaces, and Earth science MUSES is a relatively small platform with a mass of 305
experiments. The company is also the prime contractor kg and is about 1 x 1x 0.5 m in size. It was installed by
on the ISS Mission Operations and Integration contract Canadarm2 on the external ELC-4 fixture a week after
for the Payload Operations and Integration Center at launch and was soon declared fully operational.
NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. The DLR Earth Sensing Imaging Spectrometer
SpaceFlight Vol 61 February 2019 19ISS
(DESIS), launched in June 2018 aboard CRS-15, was
unpacked by astronauts Gerst and Feustel on 20 August
and transferred by the Dextre arm from the Kibo
airlock to the MUSES platform on 27 August. DESIS is
a hyperspectral visible/IR detector (400-1000 nm) with
30 m resolution, weighing 88 kg and 0.9 x 0.6 x 0.5m in
size. Initial Operating Capability (when the first images
were received) was achieved after only two days.
Commissioning was completed in October with Full
Operating Capability achieved before the end of 2018.
DESIS will provide information to assess the situation
following environmental disasters, to help farmers
manage their land in a targeted manner, and provide
scientists with a basis for innovative atmospheric
correction algorithms. This 235 channel ground-
controlled instrument can operate 5-7 years. First results
presented by DLR in October show great promise.
STAR TRACK
NICER (Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer)
is a finely tuned spectrometer with 56 telescopes that
are capable of spotting the thermal and non-thermal
emissions of fast rotating neutron stars (also called
pulsars) in the distant universe. It operates by scanning
with a soft X-ray Timing Instrument (XTI), which will
be able to see the inner-workings of these complex
objects to understand the forces that create them.
They are “small” stellar objects containing ultra-dense
matter at the threshold of collapsing into black holes;
presently about 2,000 pulsars are known. In addition to
its principal science goals, NICER will enable the first
demonstration of spacecraft navigation using pulsars as
beacons, through the Station Explorer for X-ray Timing
and Navigation Technology (SEXTANT) enhancement. ABOVE magnetic objects known.” Of SEXTANT he said: "The
IMAGES: GERARD VAN DE HAAR (LEFT); ESA (ABOVE)
“Neutron stars are fantastical stars that are Designed to fact that we have these pulsars apparently flashing away
chase storms and
extraordinary in many ways”, said Zaven Arzoumanian, investigate violent
in the sky (hundreds of times per second) makes them
NICER’s deputy principal investigator and science lead lightning bursts, interesting as [navigation] tools."
at NASA Goddard, shortly before launch. “They are the ASIM is attached NICER weighs 372 kg and measures approximately
densest objects in the universe, they are the fastest- to the exterior 1.5 x 1.5 x 1.5 m. Next to NASA Goddard and MIT,
spinning objects known, they are the most strongly platorm of ESA’s the company MOOG and the Technical University of
Columbus module.
Denmark (DTU) are involved.
On 12 June 2017, a week after Dragon CRS-
11 docked to ISS, NICER was picked-up by the
Canadarm2 from Dragon’s trunk and two days later
installed on the external ELC-2 platform, very close to
the AMS-2 particle physics module which was already
placed there in 2011 on STS-134. After a check-out
month, NICER began science operations on 17 July.
In January 2018 the first data proved that pulsars can
indeed be used as a universal GPS.
In May 2018 NICER found two stars that revolve
around each other every 38 minutes – the record for
the shortest known orbital period for a certain class
of pulsar binary system, being only 300,000 km apart
LEFT
from each other (less than the distance from Earth to
Prof. Dr. Torsten the Moon – 384,000 km). Already after eight months
Neubert from the of observations the NICER data archive was opened in
Danish Technical March 2018 with records of over 3,000 observations.
University hopes Data gathering is planned to last 18 months. In
to provide
significant September NASA also allowed guest scientists to use
understanding NICER.
of lightning and
the transient EXCESS ENERGY
lights above such
phenomena from
Research that started with balloons now culminates
his work with data in a three-year stint aboard the ISS as scientists work
from ASIM. . on solving a fundamental astrophysics mystery: what
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