Spacecraft Event
July 4, 2020, 4 a.m.
OSIRIS-Rex Sample Collection
101955 Bennu
The OSIRIS-REx is a NASA asteroid study and sample-return mission. The mission's main goal is to obtain a sample of at least 60 grams from 101955 Bennu, a carbonaceous near-Earth asteroid, and return the sample to Earth for a detailed analysis.
Rehearsals will be performed before the sampling event, during which the solar arrays will be raised into a Y-shaped configuration to minimize the chance of dust accumulation during contact and provide more ground clearance in case the spacecraft tips over (up to 45°) during contact. The descent will be very slow to minimize thruster firings prior to contact in order to reduce the likelihood of asteroid surface contamination by unreacted hydrazine propellant. Contact with the surface of Bennu will be detected using accelerometers, and the impact force will be dissipated by a spring in the TAGSAM arm.
Upon surface contact by the TAGSAM instrument, a burst of nitrogen gas will be released, which will blow regolith particles smaller than 2 cm (0.8 in) into the sampler head at the end of the robotic arm. A five-second timer will limit collection time to mitigate the chance of a collision. After the timer expires, the back-away maneuver will initiate a safe departure from the asteroid.
Long March 11
- Success
Long March 4
- Success
Kuaizhou
KX-09 & TY-1-07 (Xiaoxiang-1-07) - Success
Developed by the DFH Satellite Co., the microgravity experimental satellite KX-09 (supposedly Kuxue-09) will conduct studies in microgravity. Established in August 2001, DFH Satellite Co., Ltd. is ...
Rokot / Briz-KM
Geo-IK-2 N13L (Kosmos 2540) - Success
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Delta IV M+(4,2)
GPS III SV02 "Magellan" - Success
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Soyuz 2.1A
Soyuz MS-14 Uncrewed - Success
Uncrewed Soyuz MS spacecraft to bring cargo to the space station. This demo flight tests a modified motion and navigation control system, as well as mating to Soyuz-2.1a rocket. The results will be...
Electron
Look Ma, No Hands - Success
Mission carries a satellite for the future UNSEENLABS maritime tracking constellation, a BlackSky Global-4 Earth observation satellite, and two experimental satellites for United States Air Force S...
Long March 3
Zhongxing-18 (Chinasat-18) - Success
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Smart Dragon 1
Maiden Flight - Success
First launch of the new solid-fueled rocket by Chinarocket Co., Ltd., which is a commercial subsidiary of CASC. On this launch Smart Dragon 1 will also carry payloads for four private companies.
Atlas V 551
AEHF-5 - Success
This is the fifth satellite in the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) system, which is a series of communications satellites operated by the United States Air Force Space Command. It provides...
