From L2 to the Moon and points elsewhere
December 27, 2021 2:45 PM Subscribe
The last two weeks of 2021 in space. Starting with the Earth area: Zhai Zhigang and Ye Guangfu, two taikonauts of the Shenzhou-13 mission on board the Tianhe space station, completed a second EVA lasting six hours.
The James Webb telescope successfully launched. It will take the next 29 days and nearly one million miles to reach Earth's L2 point. Today it unfolded its gimbaled antenna assembly successfully. (previously)
Two days after that launch, OneWeb orbited 36 satellites via a Soyuz launched from Baikonur by Arianespace.
A Falcon 9 first stage landed on the droneship Just Read the Instructions, marking the 100th successful recovery of a Falcon booster rocket. Chinese citizens complained that Elon Musk's space efforts are causing orbital collision problems for the Chinese space program.
Also in Earth orbit, Expedition 66 continued performing experiments in and maintenance on the ISS.
Europe pressed ahead with its Copernicus Program even as negotiators struggled to address a Brexit-caused financial crisis. Meanwhile, Britain's Immersat successfully orbited a new satellite after a Japanese launch.
The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted a license to build a spaceport in Camden county, Georgia.
On the Moon: China's Yutu rover spotted "an obtrusive cube... like a mysterious hut," giving rise to all kinds of speculation and a very slow ride in its direction. Also on Lunar topics, NASA plans to launch Artemis from the Earth to the moon and around the moon early in 2022.
Near Earth, beyond the Moon: more than a month after launch, NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) is headed towards its target asteroid, and sent back its first image. The Lucy probe hurtled just past the Earth's orbit on its way out to its own asteroids.
Near the Sun: two spacecraft observed a comet plunging towards Sol. (Also previously)
On Mars: Perseverance found organic molecules. The Perseverance Twitter account shared its most popular photos of that planet.
To the asteroid belt: NASA described plans for next year's mission to Psyche.
Video coda: NASA summed up their accomplishments for the year.
The James Webb telescope successfully launched. It will take the next 29 days and nearly one million miles to reach Earth's L2 point. Today it unfolded its gimbaled antenna assembly successfully. (previously)
Two days after that launch, OneWeb orbited 36 satellites via a Soyuz launched from Baikonur by Arianespace.
A Falcon 9 first stage landed on the droneship Just Read the Instructions, marking the 100th successful recovery of a Falcon booster rocket. Chinese citizens complained that Elon Musk's space efforts are causing orbital collision problems for the Chinese space program.
Also in Earth orbit, Expedition 66 continued performing experiments in and maintenance on the ISS.
Europe pressed ahead with its Copernicus Program even as negotiators struggled to address a Brexit-caused financial crisis. Meanwhile, Britain's Immersat successfully orbited a new satellite after a Japanese launch.
The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted a license to build a spaceport in Camden county, Georgia.
On the Moon: China's Yutu rover spotted "an obtrusive cube... like a mysterious hut," giving rise to all kinds of speculation and a very slow ride in its direction. Also on Lunar topics, NASA plans to launch Artemis from the Earth to the moon and around the moon early in 2022.
Near Earth, beyond the Moon: more than a month after launch, NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) is headed towards its target asteroid, and sent back its first image. The Lucy probe hurtled just past the Earth's orbit on its way out to its own asteroids.
Near the Sun: two spacecraft observed a comet plunging towards Sol. (Also previously)
On Mars: Perseverance found organic molecules. The Perseverance Twitter account shared its most popular photos of that planet.
To the asteroid belt: NASA described plans for next year's mission to Psyche.
Video coda: NASA summed up their accomplishments for the year.
thank you this is fantastic
posted by Baby_Balrog at 3:55 PM on December 27, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by Baby_Balrog at 3:55 PM on December 27, 2021 [2 favorites]
On the Moon: China's Yutu rover spotted "an obtrusive cube... like a mysterious hut,"
That's just the fifth hole of Leo Wong's "minature" golf course.
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 3:58 PM on December 27, 2021 [1 favorite]
That's just the fifth hole of Leo Wong's "minature" golf course.
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 3:58 PM on December 27, 2021 [1 favorite]
Like an, ahem, Monolith?
Or perhaps a tetrahedron.
posted by doctornemo at 5:47 PM on December 27, 2021
Or perhaps a tetrahedron.
posted by doctornemo at 5:47 PM on December 27, 2021
Love the first line (translated) from the first Yutu link: "On the afternoon of October 29, 2021, Yutu 2 woke up from its sweet sleep on a moonlit night".
posted by Halloween Jack at 8:27 PM on December 27, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by Halloween Jack at 8:27 PM on December 27, 2021 [1 favorite]
Accident waiting to happen.
China berates US after ‘close encounters’ with Elon Musk satellites
Beijing urges US to act responsibly after two near misses that it says posed serious threat to astronauts’ lives
posted by adamvasco at 7:00 AM on December 28, 2021 [1 favorite]
China berates US after ‘close encounters’ with Elon Musk satellites
Beijing urges US to act responsibly after two near misses that it says posed serious threat to astronauts’ lives
posted by adamvasco at 7:00 AM on December 28, 2021 [1 favorite]
« Older We, as a nation, are insane. But we knew that. | bello Newer »
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Like an, ahem, Monolith?
posted by sammyo at 3:03 PM on December 27, 2021 [2 favorites]