James Webb

 

By Astrophilatelie Martin

July 12, 2022, James Webb the first image shows the universe only 100 million years old!

Evidence of the U.S. government’s unwavering interest in the space program, President Joe Biden has unveiled and unveiled the first-ever public image of the James Webb Space Telescope. And unsurprisingly, it is spectacular from both a scientific and a technical standpoint.

It shows us a wide variety of objects at different ages of the universe, some of which are "old" by a hundred million years.

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has captured the deepest, sharpest infrared image of the distant universe to date. Known as "Webb's First Deep Field," this image of SMACS 0723 galaxy cluster is full of detail.

Zvezda module

 

By Astrophilatelie Martin

On July 12, 2000, the Zvezda module was launched by a Proton K rocket from Baikonour. It joins automatically at the Zarya docking port opposite Unity on 26 July 2000.

This is the third module installed in the International Space Station assembly after the Zarya and Unity modules.

A few weeks later, management of the space station is transferred from Zarya's computers to Zvezda's. During an extra-vehicle crew outing of the STS 106 mission on September 11, 2000, the external connections between the two Russian modules are set up. Zvezda engines are now taking over Zarya for attitude control and orbit corrections. Zarya's role is storing equipment and fuel.

Expedition 1, the ISS's first standing crew, takes possession of the site on November 2, 2000.

Ariane 3

 

By Astrophilatelie Martin

The latest launch of Ariane 3...

Ariane 3 V32, launched on July 11, 1989 from ELA 1 firing pass of Kourou, Guyana. It placed the Olympus 1 telecommunications satellite weighing 2,600 kg into geostationary orbit.

All Ariane 4s, bigger and more powerful, new generation, will take off from ELA 2 firing line.

July 10, 1942

 

By Astrophilatelie Martin

July 10, 1942, birth of Pyotr Iliyich Klimuk in Kamarovka, Belarus, Soviet cosmonaut selected on October 23, 1965 in the TsPK-3. group.

He participated in three space missions:

-Soyouz 13 from 18 to 26 December 1973.

-Soyouz 18 from May 24 to July 26, 1975.

-Soyouz 30 from June 27 to July 5, 1978.

He was part of the backup crew on flights 12 and Soyouz 17.

He left the Cosmonauts group on March 3, 1982 with 78 days 18 hours 17 minutes spent in space.

SpaceX Crew 2

By Astrophilatelie Martin

France-American space mission aboard the ISS.

SpaceX Crew 2.

A special edition of 5 astrophilatelic envelopes, drawn from just 50 numbered copies, was made from Cape Canaveral (Florida) and Houston (Texas) to commemorate the Alpha mission aboard the ISS.

July 7, 1978

 

By Astrophilatelie Martin

July 7, 1978, the Progress 2 cargo was launched from Baikonour by a Soyouz U rocket.

Delivery of 2,161 kg of supplies for the second maintenance crew of Saliout 6 (Soyouz 29, Kovalenok and Ivanchenko).

Mooring at Saliout 6 July 9

Unmarried on the 2nd of August.

Disintegration into the atmosphere August 4, 1978.

On July 6, 1976

 By Astrophilatelie Martin

On July 6, 1976, the Soyouz 21 spacecraft was launched from Baikonour with the cosmonauts Boris Volynov and Vitali Zholobov on board. Mooring at Saliout 5 orbital station on July 7. The experiments conducted during the mission were mainly military-oriented as part of the Almaz program. Various purely scientific tasks were also carried out, including solar observations and biological observations of an aquarium placed in orbit. Using the Kristall furnace for growing crystals. A liaison with school children on August 17 was also undertaken.

Throwback to August 24, 1976 after a flight of 49 days 6 hours 23 minutes and 791 Earth orbits. The mission ended abruptly with the cosmonauts returning to Earth after just over 49 days in orbit. The exact reason for the mission's premature end has been the subject of much speculation, but it was reported that it was an emergency evacuation after the atmosphere in Saliut developed a sour odor. Subsequent reports indicate the mission could have ended due to deteriorating health for Zholobov.

LARES 2

 

By Nicholas Steggall

LARES 2

Laser Relativity Satellite 2 is a passive satellite by the Italian Space Agency.

LARES-1, was launched into orbit on 13 February 2012. It was launched on the first Vega rocket from the ESA Centre Spatiale Guyanais in Kourou, French Guiana. LARES-2 is scheduled for launch on the maiden flight of the Vega C rocket no earlier than July 13.

The main scientific target of the LARES mission is the measurement of the Lense-Thirring effect, a predictor of general relativity, with an accuracy of about 1%. LARES 2 may improve the accuracy of the frame-dragging effect measurement.

The media kit can be accessed from the following link.

https://esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Transportation/Vega/Vega-C_inaugural_flight_VV21_media_kit

Sixty-five years ago

 

By Aurelio Stagnaro

Sixty-five years ago, the International Geophysical Year (IGY) was inaugurated on July 1, 1957 running until Dec. 31, 1958. Sixty-seven countries participated, conducting research in eleven Earth science disciplines. The timing of the 18-month ‘year’ coincided with the peak of solar activity, conducive to observations by several of the research areas. The most significant events during IGY were of course the first artificial earth satellites launched by the USSR (Sputnik 1) and the US (Explorer 1); the discovery of the Van Allen radiation belts around earth by Explorer 1; and the defining of mid-ocean submarine ridges, a confirmation of plate-tectonic theory.