Gizmorama - September 1, 2014

Good Morning,

Up, Up and A-way off! Europe's first fully operational GPS satellite was successfully launched... into the incorrect orbit. They should of used GPS.

Learn about this and more interesting stories from the scientific community in today's issue.

Until Next Time,
Erin

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*-- Mishap with Galileo satellites --*
KOUROU, French Guiana (UPI) - Europe's effort to establish a GPS satellite constellation has a problem -- its first fully operational satellites were launched into an incorrect orbit.

According to Arianespace, which sent the satellites aloft last week aboard a Russian-designed rocket, the two Galileo spacecraft are more than 1,700 miles from where they should be above Earth.

"The liftoff and first part of the mission proceeded nominally, leading to release of the satellites according to the planned timetable, and reception of signals from the satellites," Arianespace said. "It was only a certain time after the separation of the satellites that the ongoing analysis of the data provided by the telemetry stations operated by the European Space Agency and the French space agency CNES showed that the satellites were not in the expected orbit."

The circular orbit planned for the Galileo satellites was inclined at 55 degrees, with a semi major axis of about 18,000 miles. Instead, the spacecraft were put in an elliptical orbit with an incline off 49.8 degrees and a semi-major axis of about 16,280 miles.

Scientists and engineers of Arianespace, ESA and other organizations believe the miss was caused by an anomaly with the upper stage of the Soyuz rocket that left the Arianespace launch pad in French Guiana last Friday.

Investigations into the cause of the incorrect orbit and how, if possible, the satellites can be saved are now taking place.

"Our aim is of course to fully understand this anomaly," said Stéphane Israël, chairman and chief executive officer of Arianespace. "Everybody at Arianespace is totally focused on meeting this objective.

"... Arianespace, in association with ESA and the European Commission, will designate an independent inquiry board to determine the exact causes of this anomaly and to draw conclusions and develop corrective actions that will allow us to resume launches of Soyuz from the Guiana Space Center in complete safety and as quickly as possible.

"Arianespace is determined to help meet the European Union's goals for the Galileo program without undue delay," he said.

The European Space Agency said the two satellites are being safely controlled and operated from its operations center in Germany.


*-- U.S. military destroys experimental hypersonic weapon --*
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (UPI) - Four seconds into the test launch of an experimental hypersonic weapon, on Monday, U.S. military officials were forced to abandon the mission and cue the weapon to self-destruct.

The so-called Advanced Hypersonic Weapon is part of the Defense Department's Conventional Prompt Global Strike technology development program. The program's objective is to construct a missile that can wipe out a target anywhere on Earth in less than 60 minutes after receiving bullseye data and permission to launch.

The weapon was launched from the U.S. Army's Kodiak Launch Complex in Alaska, but the test flight was short-lived. An "anomaly" forced officials to quickly abandon the test "to ensure public safety," according to a press release from the Pentagon. There were no injuries.

China tested a hypersonic missile system last year, but most defense experts in the U.S. believe the Pentagon had the growing threat of Iran and North Korea in mind when they green-lighted the program.

Craig Campbell, president of Alaska Aerospace Corp., said the rocket's aborted flight ended in a "gigantic explosion" that lit up the sky.

"I watched it, I saw it, I knew it was happening, and I was feeling sorry for the launch team because their rocket wasn't going to be able to accomplish what they were trying to get done, and knew we were going to have a day like today," he told the Alaska Dispatch News. "We're going to have to assess damages and figure out what the future is."

The Pentagon said its weapons scientists were working to ascertain the exact cause of the anomaly.

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