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Space News of the week

lot of space news this week, and so little time talking to you! Here, in a single post, a summary (just explained) of the week ...


Three events that attract attention sermaine: visiting the Comet Tempel 1, the advance of the STEREO mission, which aims to observe the sun from two points of view, and the launch tonight, the second Automated Transfer Vehicle for the European Space Agency: Johannes Kepler.

There is another "big news" space which I will not speak here. And yet, it pours ink and place of the coil even while we're on the national news: the Mars 500 has reached its peak, three false astronauts set foot on Mars false. I will not, simply because it does not happen in space and science in question is more psychological and medical qu'astrophysique. If you still want to know more, here are two links, in English and in French .


visit the temple


And the star of the week, Tempel 1. This stone is actually a celestial comet, that is to say that he regularly approached close enough sunlight to his heart full of water starts to melt, which reveals a streak across the sky.

In 2005, the comet had been visited by Deep Impact (the picture cons date of this mission), a probe on behalf of bad disaster movie that deliberately crashed an impactor on its surface. This object crashed at high speed (over 36 000 km / h) and has created a large crater 30 meters in diameter, poetically called Deep Impact. We would have liked to dissect the time images of the surface torn by the impact. It would have given a lot of information, particularly on the internal composition of the comet. Just bad luck, the picture was bad.

But NASA does not stop this kind of disappointment. When we budget, we can multiply missions. And a second probe, called Stardust, is sent out to take a second look (this is not the first mission of Stardust probe launched in 1999 and has had time to collect samples from the tail of Comet Wild 2 and return them to Earth). The meeting took place on 14 February, which resulted in a deluge of easy comparisons with Valentine's Day.

What is expected of this mission is of course first of many great pictures. The meeting has taken place, the probe passed within 200 kilometers of its target, but at this writing the images are being transferred. The only photo currently available was taken over 2000 kilometers of Tempel. Here it is:

Other images should be disclosed in the afternoon. Here is a link that allows you to follow live their reception: http://www.ustream.tv/nasajpl2 .


The observation of a comet in two steps is a first. Between Deep Impact and Stardust, Tempel had time to approach the sun. Stardust's visit should allow us to learn more about what has changed between time and also take a look at the crater that Deep Impact will tell volumes about the internal structure of the comet. The study of these stars is important since they are considered "fossil" of the early solar system. The story of Stardust, meanwhile, is nearing the end: the probe has more fuel, it will soon change its path and get lost in a long heliocentric orbit (around the sun).


The sun in STEREO


's another week of news that deserves to be interested. Americans (still) have finally managed to get a 3D image of the sun, sending two satellites on both sides of the comet. Here is one result of this mission: the first image of the "dark side" of the sun.

The mission will focus primarily on the study of CME (Coronal Mass Ejection). The solar corona ("atmosphere" of the sun, even hotter than its surface) regularly ejects large amounts of material that strike the Earth in the form of solar wind. This causes the aurora borealis, but also destructive: blackout satellites, radiation astronauts in orbit, disruption of radio communications ... Hence the interest of seeking to predict these phenomena.

As you can see in the image below-cons, you have to study the solar corona put a cover over the lens of the telescope to block the sunlight itself. CMEs that are observed are headed in a direction perpendicular to the Sun-Earth axis. To predict which CMEs will affect us, the only solution is to get to another point, to observe the Sun from a distant position on the Earth's orbit. It is the goal of the STEREO mission.

The two small U.S. satellites have moved away gradually from the earth, one in front and one backward in its orbit around the sun. In early February, the probes were well on both sides of our planet, hence the announcement. Eventually, the two satellites will cross "behind" the sun, then will re-turn before ending up at the Earth in a dozen years. The trajectory is complicated, and reports to the challenge to astronomers:

Last but not least

Here, finally, last "big" new space week The launch tonight, the second of ESA's ATV, named Johannes Kepler. Launched by the 200th Ariane rocket, the spaceship freighter should reach the ISS by the end of the month.

Needless to return the ATV that I have already described in a recent post . Remember it will take just 7 tons of cargo (food, fuel, water, various stuff ...) on the International Space Station, its mooring is completely automated, and European space industry is very proud of its technological marvel . One can even say that it is clearly the showcase of European industry in the area.

The Ariane rocket should be launched this evening, about 23 hours. The ATV will detach it 63 minutes after launch, and then continue its route to the station.

(the picture is recent cons, it is indeed responsible for the rocket Ariane 5 ATV Kepler, ready for departure).