Asteroids & Comets, Space Science

Rosetta prepares for deployment of lander on Nov. 12th

 The European Space Agency’s Rosetta spacecraft now orbiting the Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko will release  its Philae lander to touch down on the comet on November 12th at 08:35 UTC (09:35 CET, 03:35 EST) . They have now chosen the name Agilkia for the landing spot: Farewell ‘J’, hello Agilkia – ESA

Rosetta & Philae at comet 67P. Credit: ESA–C. Carreau/ATG medialabRosetta & Philae at comet 67P. Credit: ESA–C. Carreau/ATG medialab

On October 31st, Rosetta made a maneuver to align itself for the release of the lander :  Rosetta lined up for lander delivery – Rosetta blog.

the next planed orbit-changing manoeuvres will occur on the 12th at (a) 2 hours before separation and (b) about 40 minutes after (see animation below), in between which Philae will be released.

The pre-delivery manoeuvre will shift Rosetta’s trajectory so that the orbiter would be on a path so as to pass over the comet at a distance of 5 km, while the separation will occur at 08:35 UTC on board the spacecraft about 22 km (the confirmation signal will arrive on Earth at 09:03 UTC).

The second manoeuvre will cause a deflection of the Rosetta trajectory away from the comet; it will occur 40 minutes after separation, and help guarantee visibility of Philae at touchdown.

This video shows the orbital path (accelerated in time) of the orbiter

This video is about the landing and the people involved in the project:

Astronomy, History, Space participation

Citizen science project transcribing astronomy logbooks

Simon Owens writes about an interesting citizen science project at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics : Why Harvard and the Smithsonian teamed up to crowdsource a century of astronomical history – Simon Owens

The goal of the project is

to transcribe logbooks for nearly half a million photographic plates of the night sky that had been taken over the course of a hundred years.

The project, called Digital Access to a Sky Century at Harvard (DASCH for short), is actually a collaboration between the Harvard College Observatory and the Smithsonian Institution, the latter of which has embarked on a much larger endeavor to crowdsource the transcription of millions of pages of archival material.

See also the Smithsonian Digital Volunteers site where the transcription projects are managed.  And here is a listing of the logbooks being transcribes by the DASCH project.

DIY space, Space participation, Space Systems

Space crowdfunding: Eclipse capsule simulator

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Craig Russell at Space Operations Inc. in Huntsville, Alabama points me to a Kickstarter campaign they have initiated to fund a simulator for their Eclipse spacecraft, a two person module modeled after the Gemini capsules : ECLIPSE 2-seat orbital spacecraft; first step: simulator by Space Operations Inc.- Kickstarter

The crew procedures simulator will be a used to train people for orbital missions in the ECLIPSE spacecraft. SpaceOps will upgrade the existing cockpit layout and procedures from NASA’s successful Gemini spacecraft of the 1960’s. All avionics will be replaced with current qualified technology. Some new equipment will be added to the ECLIPSE that did not exist before, such as GPS.

This simulator will be a simple table mounted modular design to allow for easy relocation of panels and components to determine the best interior layout for a modern 2-seat orbital spacecraft. As we progress from the initial testing through final design of the actual ECLIPSE spacecraft, we will be upgrading this simulator along the way until it is certified to train crewmembers.

Education, Eyes in the Sky

Video: Update on the Sally Ride EarthKAM program

Here is a NASA interview with Cari Goulard of the Sally Ride EarthKAM program, which

enables middle school students all around the world to take photographs of Earth with a camera mounted in a window on the International Space Station. More than 800 schools in 51 countries, representing more than 70,000 students, are signed up for the current session.

Education, History, Space Collecting

2014 Fall Auction of Astronaut Memorabilia – Astronaut Scholarship Foundation

The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation is holding its annual auction to raise money for grants for students in technical fields: 2014 Fall Auction of Astronaut Memorabilia

Set your sights to outer space by becoming the highest bidder on a vintage piece of space memorabilia, a rare astronaut autograph, or an exciting adventure with a real space hero! The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation’s 2014 Fall Auction of Astronaut Memorabilia boasts a thrilling array of space collectibles from the very beginnings of the Mercury era up through the more recent Space Shuttle missions.

Register here to claim your virtual paddle number and start bidding today!

Auction closes November 8, 2014 at 9:30 p.m. EDT.

See the rules and regulations for the auction guidelines.

Don’t forget to check out our signature astronaut experiences, hosted this year on BiddingForGood.com!

The 2014 Astronaut Autograph & Memorabilia Show will be held in Cocoa Beach, Florida this weekend, Nov.6-9, 2014. Here is the Schedule of events.

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LOT 5: Manned Orbiting Laboratory Multi-Signed Concept Art Print

Everyone can participate in space