US Spaceflight for the future [update]

new weather sat went up and is fully functional
ushering in a new era of deliciousness JOMO news!

The JPSS satellites will carry a suite of sensors designed to collect meteorological, oceanographic, climatological, and solar-geophysical observations of the earth land, oceans, atmosphere, and near-earth space.

The JPSS Common Ground System (CGS) converges the NOAA-NASA civil polar environmental satellite program, NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP), and the Air Force’s Defense Weather Satellite System (DWSS) ground systems into a single, common system that will satisfy both U.S. and partner international environmental monitoring satellite needs from polar orbit.

The JPSS-1 spacecraft is based upon the design of the NPP satellite, with a different communications design for downlinking the raw, unprocessed data back to Earth.

PSS Sensors/Instruments:

The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS)
takes global visible and infrared observations of land, ocean, and atmosphere parameters at high temporal resolution.
The Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS)
will produce high-resolution, three-dimensional temperature, pressure, and moisture profiles. These profiles will be used to enhance weather forecasting models, and will facilitate both short- and long-term weather forecasting. Over longer timescales, they will help improve understanding of climate phenomena such as El Niño and La Niña.
The Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS)
a cross-track scanner with 22 channels, provides sounding observations needed to retrieve profiles of atmospheric temperature and moisture for civilian operational weather forecasting as well as continuity of these measurements for climate monitoring purposes.
Ozone Mapper Profiler Suite (OMPS)
an advanced suite of three hyperspectral instruments, extends the 25-plus year total-ozone and ozone-profile records. These records are used by ozone-assessment researchers and policy makers to track the health of the ozone layer. The improved vertical resolution of OMPS data products allows for better testing and monitoring of the complex chemistry involved in ozone destruction near the troposphere. OMPS products, when combined with cloud predictions, also help produce better ultraviolet index forecasts.
Clouds and Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES)
senses both solar-reflected and Earth-emitted radiation from the top of the atmosphere to the Earth's surface. Cloud properties are determined using simultaneous measurements by other JPSS instruments such as the VIIRS and will lead to a better understanding of the role of clouds and the energy cycle in global climate change.
The ground communications and processing system for JPSS is known as the JPSS Common Ground System (JPSS CGS), and consists of a Command, Control, and Communications Segment (C3S) and the Interface Data Processing Segment (IDPS). Both are developed by Raytheon Intelligence and Information Systems (IIS). The IDPS will process JPSS satellite data to provide environmental data products (aka, Environmental Data Records or EDRs) to NOAA and DoD processing centers operated by the United States government. The IDPS will process EDRs beginning with the NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP), slated to launch in October 2011 and continue through the lifetime of the JPSS and DWSS systems.

The C3S is responsible for managing the overall JPSS (and potentially DWSS) missions from control and status of the space and ground assets to ensuring delivery of timely, high-quality data from the Space Segments (SS) to IDPS for processing. In addition, the C3S provides the globally distributed ground assets necessary to collect and transport mission, telemetry, and command data between the satellites and the processing locations.

[edit] NPP launchThe NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP), originally proposed as a proof-of-concept satellite, will now support NOAA and DoD operations. NPP was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on 28 October 2011 at 09:48 GMT.[1] It will be the first in-flight use of the JPSS ground system and key sensors to be subsequently flown on the JPSS satellites and serve as both a risk-reduction and early-flight opportunity for the JPSS program.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joint_Polar_Satellite_System_(JPSS)

NPP arrives on final orbit, enjoys early success ahead of pathfinder operations | NASASpaceFlight.com

this is one of three, and the 'early' model
we'll be all set in a few years and then...well...NOTHING WILL BE THE SAME
 
NASA - NASA Launches Most Capable and Robust Rover to Mars

111126030128-nasa-mars-launch-story-top.jpg


fuck yeahhhh

fuck yeahhhhhhhh said:
Curiosity is designed to roll over obstacles up to 25 inches (about 65 centimeters) high and to travel about 660 feet (200 meters) per day. Its energy source will be a radioisotope power generator.

Landing will be tricky because of the rover’s size. As it descends, the spacecraft will make S-curve maneuvers like those used by shuttle astronauts. Three minutes before touchdown, a parachute and retrorockets will slow the spacecraft. Then, seconds before touchdown, an upper stage will act like a sky crane, lowering the upright rover on a tether to the surface.
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Pretty excited mainly because of how cool the landing sequence is. Leave it to a group of engineers to decide that the easiest way to land on a planet 1/3rd our gravity is by lowering it on a tether from a hovering vehicle.
 
phobos grunt failed, going to burn up in the atmosphere :(
Despite a small period of time where it was hoped communications and commanding might be established with the stricken Fobos-Grunt spacecraft, it now appears the Russian probe’s future is one which will see it head towards a fiery end, as its orbit continues decay over time. The likely scenario now points to a destructive re-entry sometime in January.
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Hope lost for Fobos-Grunt – likely to re-entry early in New Year | NASASpaceFlight.com

In a potential marriage of the Space Launch System (SLS) with a central exploration plan, a Boeing-authored presentation has proposed an Exploration Gateway Platform architecture that not only returns man to the lunar surface – via the use of only one SLS launch to a reusable Lunar Lander – but provides a baseline for pathfinders towards an eventual crewed mission to Mars.

Lunar Surface Option:

Created under what turned out to be an expansive amount of evaluations at the Global Exploration Workshop in November, Boeing’s Moon Mission Concept with a re-usable Lunar lander has raise eyebrows in internal circles.

Using a Global Exploration Roadmap, the approach utilizes “Near term focus on guiding capabilities, technologies and leveraging ISS,” prior to expanding to “Long term focus (on) Discovery Driven – and Enhanced by – Emerging Technologies”.

While such talk has been heard before, during the continued lack of an exploration roadmap that can provide any real definition, the presentation makes the jump towards a mission goal which has seen its stock raised over recent months, one which involves the crewed return to the Lunar Surface, as the opening prime exploration mission for NASA.

...

Central to the plan is a deep space platform, known as a gateway, located at Earth-Moon Lagrange (EML) point 1 or 2, after being built from pre-launched hardware, providing the host station for a reusable Lunar Lander – which would also be launched by the SLS Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle (HLV).

The Gateway would first be constructed at the ISS, mainly using the Node 4/DHS (Docking Hub System), an orbiter external airlock, an MPLM (Multi-Purpose Logistics Module) habitat module, and an international module.

Such a concept was previously overviewed in August, showing how the existing hardware would be launched to the ISS – using Atlas launch vehicles in the example cited – prior to full assembly using ISS assets such as the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS).

Once constructed, a space tug – powered either by solar electric or chemical – would be utilized to raise the platform to the EML point. Such a proposal claims to be ready for the arrival of crewed missions via the SLS by 2022 – as much as any timeline would be based on the readiness and evolvability of the SLS.

“A Gateway at EML1 or EML2 allows re-usability of the lunar lander which saves money and enhances development of the ultra-reliable systems needed for Mars,” noted the November presentation.

...

This use of EML-1 related to the launch of a single HLV, carrying a depot to be refuelled using commercial vehicles, reducing the mass required to launch from Earth’s surface on a Lunar or deep space mission via “dry” – and potentially reusable – landers.

“A propellant depot at the Earth-Moon L1 point would significantly improve lunar and deep space exploration mission operations by providing an infrastructure capability for deep space transportation and by opening up participation to international partners and commercial vehicles. This propellant depot outside of Earth gravity well would act as a refuelling station for spacecraft on the way to the lunar surface or Mars,” added the presentation.

Such a plan would result in SLS with an EDS (Earth Departure Stage) delivering Orion and a dry lunar lander to L1. The dry lunar lander would be loaded with 25mt of propellants at the depot to complete the lunar phase of its mission. Dry launch of the LSAM element to L1 would dramatically reduce the spacecraft weight constraints, permitting more flexible and robust operational capabilities to be designed into the lander.

...

“The expensive crew cabin and ascent stages are reused for multiple missions saving billions of dollars.”

Other benefits of a gateway platform are also cited in the overview, such as the potential for telerobotic control of hardware on the lunar surface, the launching of lunar habs to the Moon’s surface, and further references to using this baseline to ramp up towards Mars missions.
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Exploration Gateway Platform hosting Reusable Lunar Lander proposed | NASASpaceFlight.com
looks like we may get serious about an L1 station (awesome) and a fuel depot (super awesome)

lets go space highway to make commercial access workable!
 
i read it but i don't have much to contribute to it either. every time i see that it gets bumped i look through the last 2 pages or so i may have missed. i'd love to see more of an outpouring of support for space related stuff.

i know you don't feel the love but keep posting.
 
Goshin said:
phobos grunt failed, going to burn up in the atmosphere :(


Hope lost for Fobos-Grunt – likely to re-entry early in New Year | NASASpaceFlight.com



Exploration Gateway Platform hosting Reusable Lunar Lander proposed | NASASpaceFlight.com
looks like we may get serious about an L1 station (awesome) and a fuel depot (super awesome)

lets go space highway to make commercial access workable!
Click to expand...
:(@grunt

fuck yes about the L1/2 station and depot though really hope that makes it through to fruition
 
Another planet is coming this way. It is inhabited. We are being groomed to be petted or we are being groomed to be destroyed. One of those 2 things.

Oh and some here will be leaving with them as they depart.

Discuss...
 
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