NASA's CYGNSS mission is set to begin with launch aboard an Orbital ATK Pegasus XL rocket this morning. Updates from the countdown will begin right here at 6:30 a.m. and on NASA Television at 7 a.m. The Pegasus XL rocket is an air-launched vehicle that begins its flight after it is dropped from Orbital ATK's …
I’ve just gotten back from the CYGNSS pre-launch reception. We were happy to get to this day, after countless hours of hard work. Now, we’re all just excited and nervous to see what happens when our baby CYGNSS satellites (Octuplets!) are born into the world. We can’t wait to see what science mysteries CYGNSS data […]
The L-1 Day forecast from the U.S. Air Force 45th Weather Squadron has improved to a 60 percent chance of favorable weather for the launch of NASA's CYGNSS mission spacecraft. Launch is scheduled for 8:24 a.m. EST Monday during the one-hour window, which opens at 8:19 a.m. CYGNSS will take off aboard an Orbital Sciences …
You’re probably wondering why I’m down at NASA KSC so early before launch day. We’re not down here relaxing on the beach; the weekend before launch is packed with events. For example, just today, I participated in our CYGNSS Science Team meeting and two press events. Earlier today, I kicked off our science team meeting by […]
It is L-2 days here in Florida for NASA's CYGNSS mission and there are several events scheduled that can be seen on social media and NASA TV this afternoon. We've also released a pair of launch preview videos which you can see at the bottom or on Kennedy's YouTube page. The CYGNSS mission is to …
HII Transfer Vehicle (HTV)6 Launch: HTV6 launched from Tanegashima Space Center, Japan at 7:26 am CST today. Capture is scheduled for next Tuesday, December 13 at 5:00 am CST. Group Combustion: The crew performed additional troubleshooting on JAXA’s Multi-Purpose Small Payload Rack (MSPR) contained Group Combustion experiment. After removing the Combustion Chamber and installing it …
Orbital ATK's Pegasus rocket gets its payloads into space just like a conventional rocket, but instead of lifting off from the ground, the Pegasus starts its trip already in the air. That's because a modified L-1011 airliner carries the Pegasus and its payload – CYGNSS in this case – to about 39,000 feet. Pegasus begins …
My name is Mary Morris and I’m a Ph.D. candidate in the Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering department at the University of Michigan. My advisor, Prof. Chris Ruf, just so happens to be the principle investigator (PI) of the University of Michigan-led NASA Earth Venture class satellite mission, CYGNSS. CYGNSS consists of a constellation […]
A revised forecast from the U.S. Air Force 45th Weather Squadron predicts deteriorating conditions and a 40 percent chance of favorable weather for the launch of NASA's CYGNSS spacecraft. Launch is scheduled for 8:24 a.m. EST Monday, Dec. 12 aboard an Orbital Sciences ATK air-launched Pegasus XL launch vhicle, seen on the right beneath the L-1011 …
