Christopher Leidich’s Post

1971: APOLLO XV. The Apollo XV Endeavor capsule carried David R. Scott, Alfred M. Worden, Jr., and James B. Irwin, on the fourth moon mission from Kennedy Space Center. The lunar module Falcon separated from the Endeavor and landed in the Moon’s Hadley-Apennine region near Salyut Crater on 30 July. It left on 2 August and landed in the Pacific on 7 August. Apollo XV had two firsts: use of a lunar rover and first deep space walk. The mission also set three FAI records: greatest mass lifted from the earth to lunar orbit, 76,278 pounds; time outside a spacecraft on the moon, Scott with 18 hours 18 minutes; and distance traveled on the moon, 16,470 feet in the Lunar Rover.

One of the most interesting manoeuvre performed in space (the one I preferred most): gravity assists or flyby. Using a Planet or a Moon, with this manoeuvre you can increase the speed of the spacecraft/ satellite and also change the trajectory, conserving fuel and reaching distant Planet in a shorter period of time. In these days Juice will perform it using our Planet and our Moon in order to reach Jupiter! #ESA #JUICE https://lnkd.in/dEYZ7syr

Nice summary of our recent steps!

12 April 1961 was the date of the first human space flight, carried out by Yuri Gagarin, a Soviet citizen.This historic event opened the way for space exploration for the benefit of all humanity. #InternationalDayOfHumanSpaceFlight #DayOfHumanSpaceFlight #HumanSpaceFlightDay #HumanSpace #event #April #WorldDay #InternationalDay #Information #LinkedinNewsletter #CelebrationDay...

Following my previous post on Space Dynamics workbooks, this is my second workbook. In the last sheet, we tackled the problem of getting from one planet to another under the gravitational influence of the Sun. We now tackle the transfer of a spacecraft from the gravitational field of one body to the gravitational field of another. We don’t have to confine ourselves to the problem of interplanetary travel; we could be travelling from the Earth to the Moon and back in which case we move from the gravitational influence of the Earth to the Moon and then the converse on our return. Orbital injection is how we get from one orbit to another. WE-8: Hohmann Transfer Orbits WE-9: Orbital Injection WE-10: Spacecraft spin

Like many others, I've been amazed by the images coming down from the James Webb Space Telescope, located at the Sun-Earth L2 Lagrange point. But where is that and how to model such a location in our Visualyse Interplanetary tool? The 5 Lagrange points, which are shown in the figure below, are where the gravitational fields of two celestial bodies and the centrifugal forces balance, so that a spacecraft can remain nearly constantly at or around those locations. Visualyse Interplanetary can now model spacecraft at Lagrange points, whether in the Earth-Moon, Sun-Earth or other systems. We have also updated the general station dynamics page to allow TLEs to be loaded directly and show vector import parameters. More information is available in the Technical Note available on our web site here: https://lnkd.in/e9_Zb-Q5

A Space Lesson to start off your week - and why it is important. Lagrange Points are positions in space where objects sent there tend to stay put. At Lagrange points, the gravitational pull of two large masses precisely equals the centripetal force required for a small object to move with them. These points in space can be used by spacecraft to reduce fuel consumption needed to remain in position. In warfighting terms, we can think of Lagrange Points as Key Terrain - where the holder of this terrain gains a marked advantage to whoever controls it. Space is too vast for anyone to control all of it. If someone controls these Lagrange Points, they have an advantage. I think NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration explains it well AND they have a really map that shows these Lagrange Points like a terrain map! What do you think of Lagrange Points as Key Terrain? #space #intelligenceprepationofthebattlefield https://lnkd.in/gBUbXTAb

The Galileo spacecraft 🚀, launched on October 18, 1989, aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis, marked a historic mission to study Jupiter and its moons. It became the first spacecraft to orbit an outer planet, arriving at Jupiter on December 7, 1995. Equipped with various instruments, Galileo made groundbreaking discoveries 🌌, including evidence of subsurface oceans on Europa, active volcanoes on Io, and a detailed understanding of Jupiter's atmosphere and magnetosphere. Its legacy continues to inspire future missions, and on this December 7, we remember the historic arrival of Galileo at Jupiter in 1995. 🪐 #galileo #spacecraft #mission #jupiter #exploration #space #discovery #nasahistory #outerplanet #orbit #spacescience #galileo #legacy #joviansystem #etextraterrestrial #astronomy #adventures #spaceexploration #december7 #anniversary #historic #spacearrival #inspiring #science #milestones #linkedin #linkedinlearning

Both the United States and the Soviet Union have landed a spacecraft on Mars. Has anyone else? Just a few years back, the China National Space Administration's (CNSA) Tianwen-1 mission successfully landed and operated a rover on Mars. 🔍 Launched on July 23, 2020, and reaching Martian orbit on February 10, 2021, this mission marks China as the third nation to land on Mars but just the second to deploy a rover, Zhurong. 🚀 Tianwen-1, meaning "Heavenly Questions," includes an orbiter, lander, and rover, making it the first to achieve orbiting, landing, and roving on Mars in one mission. With 14 scientific instruments on board, the mission has several extensive scientific goals: 1. Investigate Martian surface geology and internal structure 🪨 2. Search for signs of water, both past and present 💧 3. Characterize the space environment and Martian atmosphere 🌠 All in all, three countries have successfully landed on Mars, with several more on the horizon soon! #AdAstra

🚀 What’s the fastest route to Jupiter for the #JUICE probe? 🛰️ A gravity-assisted voyage via the Moon, Earth, and Venus, as part of European Space Agency - ESA’s major planetary mission to the largest planet in our solar system. Built by Airbus Defence and Space and equipped with an #OrbitalPropulsion system developed, manufactured and integrated by the #SpaceEnablers at our Lampoldshausen site, the JUICE (JUpiter ICy moon Explorer) spacecraft will use Earth's gravity to bend its trajectory and perform a double world first: The first-ever lunar-Earth flyby, and the first-ever double gravity assist manoeuvre. A daring feat where precision is key. Its engines will propel JUICE through these critical flybys, adjusting its speed and direction for the 800 million kilometre journey to Jupiter. Launched on an Ariane 5 operated by ARIANESPACE, this journey isn’t just about reaching Jupiter but exploring potential oceans beneath the icy crusts of its moons – Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto – which could harbour extraterrestrial life. 🌌👽 Proud to have contributed to this extraordinary mission, we’re eagerly watching as JUICE continues on this interplanetary adventure. Stay tuned for more updates! #SpaceExploration #WorkInSpace #SpaceIndustry