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Archive for August 27, 2024

Ephemeris: 08/27/2024 – Space news

August 27, 2024 Comments off

Sorry, about posting this late. I was working on our astronomical society article and newsletter. The article will be posted as an Ephemeris Extra in a couple of weeks. For a preview see my August 22nd post.

This is Ephemeris for Tuesday, August 27th. Today the Sun will be up for 13 hours and 27 minutes, setting at 8:27, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:01. The Moon, 1 day past last quarter, will rise at 12:55 tomorrow morning.

Let’s take a look at some space news. Today is the first day of the launch window for the SpaceX commercial mission Polaris Dawn where 4 private astronauts will ride a SpaceX Dragon capsule to the highest point astronauts have been since the Apollo days, some 1400 kilometers or 870 miles above the Earth. They will also perform the first commercial EVA or space walk. Two of the astronauts will take turns poking their body out the hatch capsule for a short period of time. They will not be free floating, but they will be connected to the capsule by foot or hand restraints.

In other news NASA has decided to bring Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, the Boeing Starliner test astronauts, back to Earth on a Dragon capsule in February due to safety concerns.

The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EDT, UT–4 hours). Times will be different for other locations.

Addendum

The Boeing Starliner Calypso
The Boeing Starliner Calypso seen docked to the International Space Station. Credit NASA. For more on the decision to bring back the Starliner without its crew see: https://news.yahoo.com/news/boeings-starliner-comes-back-empty-153705167.html
Image of the proposed Polaris Dawn EVA. This contrasts with the previous image put out of the astronaut floating free on a tether outside the space capsule. Actually no useful work can be done free floating in space. The astronaut always has to be attached to something to provide leverage for a task, otherwise they would just sort of spin out of control. As a precaution the nose cover of the capsule will be facing into their direction of travel to provide some protection for the astronaut from micrometeoroid debris that they might encounter. Credit SapceX/Polaris Dawn.
Categories: Ephemeris Program, Space Flight Tags: , , , , ,