CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX successfully launched an advanced GPS satellite for the U.S. Space Force on Thursday (Nov. 5), marking the first launch in nearly two weeks here on the Space Coast.
One of the company’s two-stage Falcon 9 rockets blasted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station here at 6:24 p.m. EST (2324 GMT), carrying the GPS III-SV04 satellite to orbit. Nine minutes later, the rocket’s first stage touched down on the deck of “Of Course I Still Love You,” one of SpaceX’s two drone ships.
The GPS III-SV04 mission had been set to follow on the heels of a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket, which was scheduled to loft a U.S. spy satellite from Cape Canaveral on Tuesday (Nov. 3). However, the Atlas V launch was delayed twice due to issues with ground systems equipment. ULA is now targeting Friday (Nov. 6) for that liftoff.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the U.S. Space Force’s GPS III-SV04 navigation satellite lifts off from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, on Nov. 5, 2020. (Image credit: SpaceX/YouTube)
It was a crystal clear night here on the Space Coast, and onlookers were able to follow the rocket through the different phases of launch. A nebula-like cloud, typically visible on clear nights, formed around the rocket as the first and second stages separated. The booster’s reentry burn was also visible from a press viewing area.
Tonight’s GPS mission had been waiting to get off the ground since SpaceX was forced to call an abort on Oct. 2. In the final seconds of the countdown that day, the Falcon 9’s computer detected an engine anomaly, and the rocket’s onboard flight termination system shut the engines down. Crews were able to safe the vehicle and, after a thorough investigation, pinpoint the issue.
SpaceX determined that residue from a “masking lacquer,” which is designed to protect sensitive engine parts during anti-corrosion anodizing treatment, was left behind post-treatment. The lacquer ended up blocking 0.06-inch-wide (1.6 millimeters) vent holes for valves in two of the nine Merlin engines on the Falcon 9’s first stage, SpaceX representatives said in a news briefing on Oct. 28.
The same traces of lacquer were detected in engines on two other Falcon 9 first stages — one on the rocket that will launch the Sentinel-6 Earth-observation satellite and one on the booster that will launch Crew-1, SpaceX’s next astronaut mission. SpaceX has swapped out the affected engines. The Crew-1 launch date, scheduled for Nov. 14, was not affected by this swap. However, SpaceX and NASA are postponing the Sentinel-6 mission until after Crew-1, setting a new target date of Nov. 21.
Today’s flight marks the third GPS delivery for SpaceX. Two previous advanced GPS III missions also launched on Falcon 9 rockets, including one this past June. Another of the satellites launched on the final flight of ULA’s Delta IV Medium in August 2019.
The U.S. military plans to launch a total of 10 upgraded GPS satellites, which will replace aging members of its current constellation. SpaceX has secured additional contracts to launch the next two GPS III missions, which are expected to lift off sometime next year.
Built by Lockheed Martin in Colorado, the GPS III-SV04 satellite launched today is the fourth member of an upgraded generation of GPS navigation spacecraft that beam down higher-power signals that are more resilient to jamming and boast additional broadcast frequencies to make the GPS network more compatible with other similar constellations, Lockheed representatives have said.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket touches down on the drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You” after launching the U.S. Space Force’s GPS III-SV04 navigation satellite to orbit, on Nov. 5, 2020. (Image credit: SpaceX/YouTube)
The 227-foot-tall (70 meters) Falcon 9 is SpaceX’s workhorse, and the rocket boasts more than 1.5 million pounds of thrust at liftoff. Today’s mission featured a fresh-off-the-factory-floor Falcon, its exterior stark white for its first trip to space.
SpaceX has been relying heavily on its fleet of veteran rockets, with many Falcon 9 first stages having racked up five or more flights each. The booster that launched today, known by the SpaceX designation B1062, could be the last brand-new one we see launch a GPS satellite, as the U.S. government has given SpaceX the green light to launch future military missions on flight-proven boosters.
That decision followed on the heels of another recent announcement to allow SpaceX to recover the rocket’s first stage during national security missions — something that was previously not allowed. The next two GPS missions, which are already scheduled to fly on SpaceX rockets sometime next year, will now launch atop refurbished rockets.
That announcement is a first for national-security payloads and could result in savings of nearly $53 million for American taxpayers across the two flights, Space Force officials said.
The military has given nicknames to each of the upgraded GPS satellites, naming them after famous explorers. The satellite that launched tonight was given the moniker “Sacagawea” after the Shoshone guide who helped Lewis and Clark on their expedition through the American West in the early 1800s.
Previous satellites have been named “Vespucci” and “Magellan” in honor of explorers Amerigo Vespucci and Ferdinand Magellan. The satellite that launched in June was originally dubbed Columbus, but it recently received a new nickname: “Henson,” in honor of black explorer Matthew Henson, who was part of the first expedition to the North Pole more than a century ago.
All of the monikers are unofficial nicknames given to the satellites prior to launch as a way of honoring explorers of the past and continuing a spaceflight tradition of naming spacecraft.
The next few missions already have names selected for the respective satellites. The fifth satellite, GPS III-SV05, will be called Neil Armstrong. Space Force officials say other satellites to come will be named after Amelia Earhart, Sally Ride and Katherine Johnson.
Flight milestones
Today’s mission marks the 97th Falcon 9 rocket to fly and the 20th mission of 2020 for SpaceX. It also marks the 64th successful booster recovery. SpaceX’s drone ship, “Of Course I Still Love You,” was positioned out in the Atlantic Ocean, awaiting its recovery attempt.
The company’s other drone ship, “Just Read the Instructions,” is hanging out in Port Canaveral for now, awaiting its next mission. The massive ship, which now has 11 rocket catches under its belt, transferred to the East Coast earlier this year, after receiving some sweet upgrades.
Today’s launch also was the first since August to feature a brand new SpaceX booster. The engine issue temporarily grounded SpaceX’s new boosters, allowing the company to focus on veteran rockets and its own Starlink internet constellation. In the month of October, SpaceX launched a record 180 Starlink satellites, bringing the total number launched to nearly 900.
B1062 was the star of the show today, and it will also likely be the first Falcon 9 booster to carry two different GPS satellites to orbit; it’s scheduled to launch the next one, sometime next year. This will mark the first time that a previously flown Falcon 9 will hoist one of these advanced global positioning satellites.
With the last Starlink mission, which launched on Oct. 24, SpaceX hit a major milestone: 100 successful Falcon launches. This total encompasses the entire Falcon family, including the pioneering (and long discontinued) Falcon 1 and the currently operational Falcon Heavy. SpaceX tweeted out a video recently to commemorate the milestone.
Fairing recovery
One of SpaceX’s two fairing catchers, GO Ms. Chief, is waiting in the recovery zone this evening. The two boats are outfitted with massive nets to catch the falling pieces of the rocket’s payload fairing, or nose cone, after they are deployed during flight. (SpaceX fairings come back to Earth in two halves.)
GO Ms. Chief departed Port Canaveral on Wednesday (Nov. 4) ahead of today’s launch. The vessel traveled solo this time as its counterpart, GO Ms. Tree, remained in Port in Florida. (The boat was damaged on a previous mission and could presumably still be undergoing repairs.)
During a prelaunch broadcast, SpaceX engineer Jessica Anderson announced that the company would not be attempting a catch, but instead would scoop up the fairing pieces after they land in the ocean. The boats have the capability of catching falling fairings in their nets, or scooping them out of the water after they splash down. Those efforts should occur approximately 45 minutes after liftoff.
With the help of Ms. Tree and Ms. Chief, SpaceX has been successful in its attempts to reuse more of the rocket, even reusing several fairings on multiple missions.
Up next for SpaceX is Crew-1, its first contracted crewed mission to the International Space Station for NASA. A different Falcon 9 rocket will ferry four astronauts to the station for a six-month stay. That flight is set to blast off from Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 14 at 7:29 p.m. EST (0029 GMT on Nov. 15).
Follow Amy Thompson on Twitter @astrogingersnap. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook.
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — A rare Bronze-Era jar accidentally smashed by a 4-year-old visiting a museum was back on display Wednesday after restoration experts were able to carefully piece the artifact back together.
Last month, a family from northern Israel was visiting the museum when their youngest son tipped over the jar, which smashed into pieces.
Alex Geller, the boy’s father, said his son — the youngest of three — is exceptionally curious, and that the moment he heard the crash, “please let that not be my child” was the first thought that raced through his head.
The jar has been on display at the Hecht Museum in Haifa for 35 years. It was one of the only containers of its size and from that period still complete when it was discovered.
The Bronze Age jar is one of many artifacts exhibited out in the open, part of the Hecht Museum’s vision of letting visitors explore history without glass barriers, said Inbal Rivlin, the director of the museum, which is associated with Haifa University in northern Israel.
It was likely used to hold wine or oil, and dates back to between 2200 and 1500 B.C.
Rivlin and the museum decided to turn the moment, which captured international attention, into a teaching moment, inviting the Geller family back for a special visit and hands-on activity to illustrate the restoration process.
Rivlin added that the incident provided a welcome distraction from the ongoing war in Gaza. “Well, he’s just a kid. So I think that somehow it touches the heart of the people in Israel and around the world,“ said Rivlin.
Roee Shafir, a restoration expert at the museum, said the repairs would be fairly simple, as the pieces were from a single, complete jar. Archaeologists often face the more daunting task of sifting through piles of shards from multiple objects and trying to piece them together.
Experts used 3D technology, hi-resolution videos, and special glue to painstakingly reconstruct the large jar.
Less than two weeks after it broke, the jar went back on display at the museum. The gluing process left small hairline cracks, and a few pieces are missing, but the jar’s impressive size remains.
The only noticeable difference in the exhibit was a new sign reading “please don’t touch.”
VICTORIA – The British Columbia government is partnering with a bear welfare group to reduce the number of bears being euthanized in the province.
Nicholas Scapillati, executive director of Grizzly Bear Foundation, said Monday that it comes after months-long discussions with the province on how to protect bears, with the goal to give the animals a “better and second chance at life in the wild.”
Scapillati said what’s exciting about the project is that the government is open to working with outside experts and the public.
“So, they’ll be working through Indigenous knowledge and scientific understanding, bringing in the latest techniques and training expertise from leading experts,” he said in an interview.
B.C. government data show conservation officers destroyed 603 black bears and 23 grizzly bears in 2023, while 154 black bears were killed by officers in the first six months of this year.
Scapillati said the group will publish a report with recommendations by next spring, while an independent oversight committee will be set up to review all bear encounters with conservation officers to provide advice to the government.
Environment Minister George Heyman said in a statement that they are looking for new ways to ensure conservation officers “have the trust of the communities they serve,” and the panel will make recommendations to enhance officer training and improve policies.
Lesley Fox, with the wildlife protection group The Fur-Bearers, said they’ve been calling for such a committee for decades.
“This move demonstrates the government is listening,” said Fox. “I suspect, because of the impending election, their listening skills are potentially a little sharper than they normally are.”
Fox said the partnership came from “a place of long frustration” as provincial conservation officers kill more than 500 black bears every year on average, and the public is “no longer tolerating this kind of approach.”
“I think that the conservation officer service and the B.C. government are aware they need to change, and certainly the public has been asking for it,” said Fox.
Fox said there’s a lot of optimism about the new partnership, but, as with any government, there will likely be a lot of red tape to get through.
“I think speed is going to be important, whether or not the committee has the ability to make change and make change relatively quickly without having to study an issue to death, ” said Fox.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 9, 2024.
The European Space Agency is fast-tracking a new mission called Ramses, which will fly to near-Earth asteroid 99942 Apophis and join the space rock in 2029 when it comes very close to our planet — closer even than the region where geosynchronous satellites sit.
Ramses is short for Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety and, as its name suggests, is the next phase in humanity’s efforts to learn more about near-Earth asteroids (NEOs) and how we might deflect them should one ever be discovered on a collision course with planet Earth.
In order to launch in time to rendezvous with Apophis in February 2029, scientists at the European Space Agency have been given permission to start planning Ramses even before the multinational space agency officially adopts the mission. The sanctioning and appropriation of funding for the Ramses mission will hopefully take place at ESA’s Ministerial Council meeting (involving representatives from each of ESA’s member states) in November of 2025. To arrive at Apophis in February 2029, launch would have to take place in April 2028, the agency says.
This is a big deal because large asteroids don’t come this close to Earth very often. It is thus scientifically precious that, on April 13, 2029, Apophis will pass within 19,794 miles (31,860 kilometers) of Earth. For comparison, geosynchronous orbit is 22,236 miles (35,786 km) above Earth’s surface. Such close fly-bys by asteroids hundreds of meters across (Apophis is about 1,230 feet, or 375 meters, across) only occur on average once every 5,000 to 10,000 years. Miss this one, and we’ve got a long time to wait for the next.
When Apophis was discovered in 2004, it was for a short time the most dangerous asteroid known, being classified as having the potential to impact with Earth possibly in 2029, 2036, or 2068. Should an asteroid of its size strike Earth, it could gouge out a crater several kilometers across and devastate a country with shock waves, flash heating and earth tremors. If it crashed down in the ocean, it could send a towering tsunami to devastate coastlines in multiple countries.
Over time, as our knowledge of Apophis’ orbit became more refined, however, the risk of impact greatly went down. Radar observations of the asteroid in March of 2021 reduced the uncertainty in Apophis’ orbit from hundreds of kilometers to just a few kilometers, finally removing any lingering worries about an impact — at least for the next 100 years. (Beyond 100 years, asteroid orbits can become too unpredictable to plot with any accuracy, but there’s currently no suggestion that an impact will occur after 100 years.) So, Earth is expected to be perfectly safe in 2029 when Apophis comes through. Still, scientists want to see how Apophis responds by coming so close to Earth and entering our planet’s gravitational field.
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“There is still so much we have yet to learn about asteroids but, until now, we have had to travel deep into the solar system to study them and perform experiments ourselves to interact with their surface,” said Patrick Michel, who is the Director of Research at CNRS at Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur in Nice, France, in a statement. “Nature is bringing one to us and conducting the experiment itself. All we need to do is watch as Apophis is stretched and squeezed by strong tidal forces that may trigger landslides and other disturbances and reveal new material from beneath the surface.”
The Goldstone radar’s imagery of asteroid 99942 Apophis as it made its closest approach to Earth, in March 2021. (Image credit: NASA/JPL–Caltech/NSF/AUI/GBO)
By arriving at Apophis before the asteroid’s close encounter with Earth, and sticking with it throughout the flyby and beyond, Ramses will be in prime position to conduct before-and-after surveys to see how Apophis reacts to Earth. By looking for disturbances Earth’s gravitational tidal forces trigger on the asteroid’s surface, Ramses will be able to learn about Apophis’ internal structure, density, porosity and composition, all of which are characteristics that we would need to first understand before considering how best to deflect a similar asteroid were one ever found to be on a collision course with our world.
Besides assisting in protecting Earth, learning about Apophis will give scientists further insights into how similar asteroids formed in the early solar system, and, in the process, how planets (including Earth) formed out of the same material.
One way we already know Earth will affect Apophis is by changing its orbit. Currently, Apophis is categorized as an Aten-type asteroid, which is what we call the class of near-Earth objects that have a shorter orbit around the sun than Earth does. Apophis currently gets as far as 0.92 astronomical units (137.6 million km, or 85.5 million miles) from the sun. However, our planet will give Apophis a gravitational nudge that will enlarge its orbit to 1.1 astronomical units (164.6 million km, or 102 million miles), such that its orbital period becomes longer than Earth’s.
It will then be classed as an Apollo-type asteroid.
Ramses won’t be alone in tracking Apophis. NASA has repurposed their OSIRIS-REx mission, which returned a sample from another near-Earth asteroid, 101955 Bennu, in 2023. However, the spacecraft, renamed OSIRIS-APEX (Apophis Explorer), won’t arrive at the asteroid until April 23, 2029, ten days after the close encounter with Earth. OSIRIS-APEX will initially perform a flyby of Apophis at a distance of about 2,500 miles (4,000 km) from the object, then return in June that year to settle into orbit around Apophis for an 18-month mission.
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Furthermore, the European Space Agency still plans on launching its Hera spacecraft in October 2024 to follow-up on the DART mission to the double asteroid Didymos and Dimorphos. DART impacted the latter in a test of kinetic impactor capabilities for potentially changing a hazardous asteroid’s orbit around our planet. Hera will survey the binary asteroid system and observe the crater made by DART’s sacrifice to gain a better understanding of Dimorphos’ structure and composition post-impact, so that we can place the results in context.
The more near-Earth asteroids like Dimorphos and Apophis that we study, the greater that context becomes. Perhaps, one day, the understanding that we have gained from these missions will indeed save our planet.
