SpaceX Archives - Argyll Free Press

The SpaceX manufactured Falcon 9 has already had its launch delayed no less than four times, with the next attempt being scheduled to take place on March 4^th, 2016. The mission that is supposed to carry out an SES-9 communications satellite up into outer space has not had the best run so far, with the launch continually being delayed due to both technical issues and unfavorable weather conditions.

This time around, the engineers and scientists in charge of the Falcon 9 launch believe that, given the already fixed technical issues, the rocket could finally be sent into outer space tomorrow. The last two attempts were postponed due to uncertainty and a lack of a good window to do it in. The launch had been possible on Tuesday in a window starting with 6:35 PM and ending with 8:05 PM but was unfortunately not gone through with due to physical and technical limitations. Prior to that, the Wednesday last week, fuel temperatures got into the way, and Friday was a no-go due to unfavorable winds.

The Falcon 9 rocket is a SpaceX construction, currently located at the Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral and carries the SES-9 satellite, weighting 11,600 pounds. While the mission is not of a staggering magnitude, the launch seems to have been hindered by a multitude of factors and the scientists do not wish to risk failure.

The rocket will be sent out using cryogenic propellant, a type of fuel that does not leave room for anything but perfection in execution. Because of the need that the fuel is kept at a low temperature in order to maintain its density, it becomes vital for everything to be kept in check and under control to avoid irregularities and malfunction.

The SES-9 satellite is planned to operate in geostationary orbit around the Earth, positioning itself in the orbital slot at 108.2 degrees’ east longitude and will be able to provide communication services to the Asia-Pacific region. That sums up video, commercial, government, and mobile communication for about 20 different countries.

Many improvements have already been made to the rocket’s systems, according to all the data gathered from the previous attempts. As long as the wind conditions on Friday are favorable for a launch, March 4^th may just be the day when it finally takes place.

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NASA wants to probe the remains of a supernova that exploded 20,000 years ago – examining the Cygnus Loop may result in one of the biggest, and fruitful, experiments in our history.

The mission will involve a probe which will analyse the contents of the Cygnus Loop. A sounding rocket will gather data emitted from the stellar event – to be more exact, x-rays are still being emitted, and scientists think that they can find crucial information by analysing them; crucial information that can lead to a better understanding of what supernovas are made of.

Also, scientists hope that by studying Cyngus Loop’s contents, they will shine a bright light on one of the biggest questions that has plagued our world. What is the Universe made out of? The new data that NASA will acquire will most likely sprout a ton of new questions regarding our stance in the universe, and our fate in the infinite unknown.

On May the 2nd, NASA launched OGRESS – Off-plane Grating Rocker for Extended Source Spectroscopy – from White Sands Missile Range, in New Mexico.

A following voyage is planned for 2018 on the star Capella.

But NASA isn’t the only one trying to breach the universe’s hard, and mysterious, wall. Elon Musk, the famous tech billionaire with a huge passion for spaceflight, and all space related things, is known for trying to be one of the pioneers that would make human life multi-planetary. Unfortunately he is encountering some technical difficulties, regarding his rockets taking off, and then actually landing them, without the whole utter destruction thing – here’s a YouTube video of the Falcon 9 landing failure.

Also, Dutch entrepreneur Bas Lansdorp is leading the private spaceflight project called Mars One – a non-profit organization with its roots in the Netherlands that plans to form a colony on Mars by 2027. The plans are that on 2027 the first humans will arrive on Mars, and every two years additional teams will be added. The goals is that by 2035 there would be 20 people living on Mars.

Slowly, but surely, humanity is entering a new space era, and in 100 years Mars will probably be a tourist destination.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos also has a company with interests in space. Called Blue Origin, the company is doing the same research in reusable crafts like SpaceX, and on the 29th of April they have successfully launched, and landed their space-ship. Although everyone is bashing them for the design of the ship. Yes, it looks phallic, but do we really care? It’s taking people up-to-and-back from the heavens. Take a look at Blue Origin’s first flight.

It saddens me that companies don’t team up, and share their research. They are doing a great job, undoubtedly, but let’s be real for a second – they are seeing this as a huge opportunity that will make them even more rich in the future. Frank Herbert was right, corporate driven houses will conquer space, not governments.

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Fifth Time May Be a Charm for Falcon 9

NASA is Keen On Analysing the Remains of a Supernova

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