China's First Long March-12 Launch | Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site

China's First Long March-12 Launch | Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site

The launch of the Long March-12 carrier rocket on Saturday, November 30, 2024, marks the beginning of operations at China's first-ever commercial launch site and signifies a major milestone for the nation, according to experts.

The Long March-12 carrier rocket blasted off at 22:25 (Beijing Time) from the site's No. 2 launch pad, successfully sending two experimental satellites for private company GalaxySpace into their planned orbits.

The launch mission achieved complete success at 22:48, according to Hainan provincial authorities.

Developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the Long March-12 is currently the country's largest single-core carrier rocket in payload capacity. It features a two-stage configuration propelled by six liquid oxygen/kerosene engines with a length of about 62 meters and a diameter of 3.8 meters.

The rocket is designed with a carrying capacity of no less than 12 tonnes in low Earth orbit and no less than six tonnes in 700-km sun-synchronous orbit.

Construction work on the Hainan commercial space launch site began in July 2022, and it is now the country's first launch site dedicated to commercial missions.The site currently features two launch pads for liquid-propellant rockets. The No. 1 pad is designed for the Long March-8, China's new-generation medium-lift carrier rocket, while the No. 2 pad can accommodate multiple rocket types with varying diameters from commercial rocket companies. Each pad has an annual launch capacity of 16 launches.

Saturday's launch was the 548th flight mission of the Long March rocket series.

Long March-12 Rocket Data

3.8m wide & 62m tall, D5.2m fairings

430t liftoff mass

4 YF-100K kerolox engines provide 5000kN thrust at liftoff

2 YF-115 2nd stage engines are able to reignite for the first time

12t LEO capacity, 6t SSO

Image Credits: CCTV/China Daily/Xinhua
Image Dates: Nov. 29-30, 2024

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #China #中国 #CNSA #中国国家航天局 #LongMarch12 #长征十二号运载火箭 #Rocket #RocketLaunch #CarrierRocket #MediumLift #CASC #SpaceTechnology #Engineering #CommercialSpace #Spaceflight #WSLS #Wenchang #Hainan #STEM #Education

Spiral Galaxy NGC 1637 in Eridanus : Signs of the Stellar Lifecycle | Hubble

Spiral Galaxy NGC 1637 in Eridanus : Signs of the Stellar Lifecycle | Hubble

The subject of this NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope picture is NGC 1637, a spiral galaxy located 38 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Eridanus.

This image comes from an observing program dedicated to studying star formation in nearby galaxies. Stars form in cold, dusty gas clouds that collapse under their own gravity. As young stars grow, they heat their nurseries through starlight, winds, and powerful outflows. Together, these factors play a role in controlling the rate at which future generations of stars form. 

Evidence of star formation is scattered all around NGC 1637, if you know where to look. The galaxy’s spiral arms are dotted with what appear to be pink clouds, many of which are accompanied by bright blue stars. The pinkish color comes from hydrogen atoms that have been excited by ultraviolet light from young, massive stars. This contrasts with the warm yellow glow of the galaxy’s center that is home to a densely packed collection of older, redder stars. 

The stars that set their birthplaces aglow are comparatively short-lived, and many of these stars will explode as supernovae just a few million years after they are born. In 1999, NGC 1637 played host to a supernova, pithily named SN 1999EM, that was lauded as the brightest supernova seen that year. When a massive star expires as a supernova, the explosion outshines its entire home galaxy for a short time. While a supernova marks the end of a star’s life, it can also jump start the formation of new stars by compressing nearby clouds of gas, beginning the stellar lifecycle anew.

Image Description: A spiral galaxy filling the view. Its disc is filled with bright red spots where stars are forming, dark reddish threads of dust that obscure light, and bluish glowing areas where older stars are concentrated. It has a large, glowing yellow oval area at the center, along with two spiral arms that wind through the galaxy’s disc. The bottom side of the disc is rounded while the top side is squared-off to a degree.

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Thilker
Release Date: Dec. 2, 2024

#NASA #Hubble #Astronomy #Space #Science #Stars #Galaxies #Galaxy #NGC1637 #SpiralGalaxy #Eridanus #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #ESA #Europe #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #STEM #Education

Jupiter makes closest approach to Earth: December 2-8, 2024 | BBC Star Diary

Jupiter makes closest approach to Earth: December 2-8, 2024 | BBC Star Diary

Jupiter and Venus are due to shine brightly in the sky this week. Find out how to see them along with many more stargazing highlights in this week’s Star Diary podcast, from the makers of BBC Sky at Night Magazine. 

What’s next for Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)? https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/advice/comet-c-2023-a3-tsuchinshan-atlas

Video Credit: BBC Sky at Night Magazine

Caption Credit: NASA Goddard/BBC
Duration: 17 minutes
Release Date: Dec. 1, 2024

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Earth #Meteors #Aurora #Planets #Venus #Jupiter #SolarSystem #Stars #StarClusters #Constellations #Nebulae #MilkyWayGalaxy #Galaxies #Universe #Skywatching #BBC #UK #Britain #Europe #UnitedStates #Canada #NorthernHemisphere #STEM #Education #Podcast #HD #Video

Shenzhou-19 Crew Conduct Scientific Experiments | International Space Station

Shenzhou-19 Crew Conduct Scientific Experiments | International Space Station

China's Shenzhou-19 crew aboard the orbiting Tiangong Space Station has carried out a series of space experiments and performed equipment maintenance in the first month of their space mission. This video was released on Wednesday, Novemmber 27, 2024, a day marking the 25th anniversary of successful launch of China's first uncrewed spacecraft, Shenzhou-1, on November 20, 1999 from northwest China's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.

Up to date, China has launched 19 Shenzhou spacecraft, 14 of these have sent 24 astronauts into space, with the number of total trips reaching 38.

The crew members, Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze, were sent into the space station on October 30, 2024, for a six-month mission.

"On the same day 25 years ago, China's first unmanned spacecraft was successfully launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The first show of the Long March 2F carrier rocket or CZ 2F shocked the world and the first flight of Shenzhou-1 spacecraft has made all the Chinese proud. China's manned space program has taken the first step from blueprinting and dreaming to striving to realize the dream, laying a solid foundation for realizing the Chinese nation's millennium skyward dream," said Cai.

"Over the past 25 years, generations of astronauts have been confident, self-reliant and hardworking. With a coordinated national response and all people being of one mind, we have set new heights in exploring space again and again, including completing the strategic mission of three-step manned space program, building the Chinese people's own space station, highlighting the Chinese Dream through realizing the Space Dream and writing a brilliant chapter in exploring the vast space," said Song.

Shenzhou-19 Crew:

Commander Cai Xuzhe (蔡旭哲)

Mission Specialist Wang Haoze (王浩泽)

Mission Specialist Song Lingdong (宋令东)

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 1 minute, 35 seconds
Release Date: Nov. 30, 2024

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #China #中国 #MicrogravityExperiments #Shenzhou19 #神舟十九号 #Taikonauts #Astronauts #CSS #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #SpaceLaboratory #CMSA #国家航天局 #LongDurationMissions #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Sonification of The Dreaded Clown-faced 'Emoji' Nebula: NGC 2392 | Hubble

Sonification of The Dreaded Clown-faced 'Emoji' Nebula: NGC 2392 | Hubble

This post is dedicated to all users of the notorious "clown-faced emoji" out there (and you know who you are). ;) In this sonification, the image is scanned clockwise like a radar. The radius is mapped to pitch, so light farther from the center is higher pitched. The outline of the nebula’s shell can be heard in the rising and falling of pitch, punctuated by its spokes. Brightness controls the volume. The Clown-faced Nebula (NGC 2392) or Caldwell 39, is a bipolar double-shell planetary nebula (PN). It was discovered by astronomer William Herschel in 1787. It is surrounded by gas that composed the outer layers of a Sun-like star. The visible inner filaments are ejected by a strong wind of particles from the central star. The outer disk contains unusual, light-year-long filaments.

NGC 2392 lies about 6,500 light-years away, and is visible with a small telescope in the constellation of Gemini.

At the center of NGC 2392, there is an O-type star with a spectral type of O(H)6f.

An emoji (絵文字 in Japanese) is a pictogram, logogram, ideogram, or smiley embedded in text and used in electronic messages and web pages. The primary function of modern emoji is to fill in emotional cues otherwise missing from typed conversation as well as to replace words as part of a logographic system. The first emoji sets were created by Japanese portable electronic device companies in the late 1980s and the 1990s. Emoji became increasingly popular worldwide in the 2010s after Unicode began encoding emoji into the Unicode Standard. They are now considered to be a large part of popular culture in the West and around the world.

Credit: NASA, European Space Agency (ESA), Andrew Fruchter (STScI), and the ERO team (STScI + ST-ECF)

Sonification credits: SYSTEM Sounds (M. Russo, A. Santaguida)

Duration: 36 seconds

Release Date: Nov. 5, 2021

#NASA #ESA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Hubble #Nebulae #Nebula #NGC2392 #ClownFacedNebula #Sonification #PlanetaryNebula #Star #Gemini #Constellation #MilkyWayGalaxy #Cosmos #Universe #SpaceTelescope #GSFC #STScI #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #Emoji #Humor #History #HD #Video

China's First Commercial Rocket Launch Site Starts Operations in Hainan

China's First Commercial Rocket Launch Site Starts Operations in Hainan

The Hainan International Commercial Aerospace Launch Site is the first in China dedicated to commercial space missions. It began formal operations on November 30, 2024, with the successful maiden flight of the Long March 12 carrier rocket that delivered two satellites into designated orbits. CGTN reporter Zheng Yibing visited the site and spoke with the president of the facility. The mission also marked the inauguration of the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site, China's first dedicated commercial space launch facility. Construction began in July 2022 and was completed in 878 days.

The successful launch from the spaceport has filled the gap in China's lack of a commercial space launch site. It marks the completion of the full industrial chain of the commercial aerospace sector. This includes satellite and rocket manufacturing, a commercial launch site, and satellite data application services. 

Hainan is an island province and the southernmost province of China. It consists of Hainan Island and many smaller islands in the South China Sea

Video Credit: CGTN
Duration: 3 minutes
Release Date: Dec. 1, 2024

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #China #中国 #CNSA #中国国家航天局 #LongMarch12 #长征十二号运载火箭 #Rocket #CarrierRocket #MediumLift #CASC #SpaceTechnology #Engineering #CommercialSpace #CommercialSpaceflight #WSLS #HICAL #Spaceport #Wenchang #Hainan #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Cosmic Fireflies: Starlink Satellites over Earth | International Space Station

Cosmic Fireflies: Starlink Satellites over Earth | International Space Station

NASA Astronaut & Expedition 72 Flight Engineeer Don Pettit: "Cosmic fireflies. Actually, these are Starlink satellites momentarily flashing sunlight towards the International Space Station."

Starlink is a satellite Internet constellation of thousands of satellites that orbit the planet close to Earth, at about 550km. It is operated by Starlink Services, LLC, an international telecommunications provider that is a subsidiary of the American aerospace firm SpaceX. It provides network coverage to over 100 countries and territories. Starlink also plans to support global mobile broadband services.

Learn about Starlink technology here:

https://www.starlink.com/technology

Expedition 72 Updates:

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 72 Crew
Station Commander: Suni Williams
Roscosmos (Russia): Alexey Ovchinin, Ivan Vagner, Aleksandr Gorbunov
NASA: Butch Wilmore, Don Pettit, Nick Hague

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.

Learn more about the important research being operated on Station:
https://www.nasa.gov/iss-science 
For more information about STEM on Station:
https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation
Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM)

Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)/D. Pettit
Duration: 12 seconds
Release Date: Nov. 27, 2024

#NASA #Space #Science #ISS #Earth #LEO #SpaceX #Starlink #Satellites #SatelliteConstellations #TelecommunicationServices #Astronauts #Astronaut #DonPettit #AstronautPhotography #Cosmonauts #Russia #Россия #Roscosmos #Роскосмос #InternationalCooperation #SpaceLaboratory #HumanSpaceflight #UnitedStates #Expedition72 #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Long March-12 Success Marks Milestone for China's Commercial Launch Services

Long March-12 Success Marks Milestone for China's Commercial Launch Services

The launch of the Long March-12 carrier rocket on Saturday, November 30, 2024, marks the beginning of operations at China's first-ever commercial launch site and signifies a major milestone for the nation, according to experts.

The Long March-12 carrier rocket blasted off at 22:25 (Beijing Time) from the site's No. 2 launch pad, successfully sending two experimental satellites into their planned orbits.

The launch mission achieved complete success at 22:48, according to Hainan provincial authorities.

Developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), it is currently the country's largest single-core carrier rocket in payload capacity. It features a two-stage configuration propelled by six liquid oxygen/kerosene engines, with a length of about 62 meters and a diameter of 3.8 meters.

The rocket is designed with a carrying capacity of no less than 12 tonnes in low Earth orbit and no less than six tonnes in 700-km sun-synchronous orbit.

Construction work on the Hainan commercial space launch site commenced in July 2022, and it is now the country's first launch site dedicated to commercial missions.The site currently features two launch pads for liquid-propellant rockets. The No. 1 pad is designed for the Long March-8, China's new-generation medium-lift carrier rocket, while the No. 2 pad can accommodate multiple rocket types with varying diameters from commercial rocket companies. Each pad has an annual launch capacity of 16 launches.

Saturday's launch was the 548th flight mission of the Long March rocket series.

Video Credit: CCTV
Duration: 48 seconds
Release Date: Dec. 1, 2024

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #China #中国 #CNSA #中国国家航天局 #LongMarch12 #长征十二号运载火箭 #Rocket #CarrierRocket #MediumLift #CASC #SpaceTechnology #Engineering #CommercialSpace #Spaceflight #WSLS #Wenchang #Hainan #STEM #Education #HD #Video

A Cosmic Wreath: Barnard 3 in Perseus | NASA WISE Mission

A Cosmic Wreath: Barnard 3 in Perseus | NASA WISE Mission

NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) Mission presents the "Wreath Nebula." Although this is not the nebula's official name (it is actually called Barnard 3, or IRAS Ring G159.6-18.5), one might picture a wreath in these bright green and red dust clouds—a ring of evergreens donned with a festive red bow, a jaunty sprig of holly, and silver bells throughout. Interstellar clouds like these are stellar nurseries, places where baby stars are being born.

Wreaths are part of many ancient traditions dating back to the earliest civilizations. The circle is a symbol of immortality; throughout history, wreaths have been associated with life, rejuvenation, and renewal. Originally, wreaths were worn around the head, neck, or waist.

The Greeks awarded laurel wreaths to their triumphant athletes; in the Persian Empire, they were worn on the head as a symbol of importance; and ancient Romans wore them like crowns. In Sweden, candles were incorporated into the wreaths to celebrate the return of light after the winter solstice. Nowadays, we use them in a window or on a door as a sign of welcome during the holidays.

In this NASA WISE infrared image, the green ring (evergreen) is made of tiny particles of warm dust whose composition is very similar to smog found here on Earth. The red cloud (bow) in the middle is probably made of dust that is more metallic and cooler than the surrounding regions. The bright star in the middle of the red cloud, called HD 278942, is so luminous that it is likely what is causing most of the surrounding ring to glow. In fact, its powerful stellar winds are what cleared out the surrounding warm dust and created the ring-shaped feature in the first place. The bright greenish-yellow region left of center (holly) is similar to the ring, though more dense. The bluish-white stars (silver bells) scattered throughout are stars located both in front of, and behind, the nebula.

Regions similar to this nebula are found near the band of the Milky Way galaxy in the night sky. The “wreath” is slightly off this band, near the boundary between the constellations of Perseus and Taurus, but at a relatively close distance of only about 1,000 light-years, the cloud is a still part of our Milky Way.

The colors used in this image represent specific wavelengths of infrared light. Blue and cyan (blue-green) represent light emitted at wavelengths of 3.4 and 4.6 microns, which is predominantly from stars. Green and red represent light from 12 and 22 microns, respectively, which is mostly emitted by dust.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., managed and operated the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. The principal investigator was Edward Wright at UCLA. 

Learn more about NASA's WISE Mission:
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/wide-field-infrared-survey-explorer-wise/

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA

Caption Credit: JPL-Caltech/Robin Sweetser
Release Date: Dec. 22, 2011

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #WISE #WISEMission #SpaceTelescope #InfraredAstronomy #Nebulae #Nebula #Barnard3 #IRASRingG1596185 #WreathNebula #Star #HD278942 #Perseus #Constellation #Cosmos #Universe #JPL #Caltech #UCLA #California #GSFC #UnitedStates #History #STEM #Education