Euclid images and videos have been posted.
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Euclid/Euclid_s_first_images_the_dazzling_edge_of_darkness
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Sets/Euclid_First_Images
#ESAEuclid #Euclid
9/n

The driving force behind these images of death and destruction in Ukraine, Gaza and Acapulco (and many other places around the world) is a small segment of humanity with a lust for power, wealth and cruelty, who control governments and who have the means, including technology developed by us, to manipulate the gullible population into fear and hatred against their fellow beings and into working against their own interests.

Can we change this before it is too late?

#ClimateChange #Ukraine #Gaza

NASA is sending a software update to the Voyager 2 spacecraft today!

The patch contains logic to auto-recover from glitches similar to one in May 2022, when the AACS system on Voyager 1 started sending garbled data. The root cause was not fully diagnosed. The patch will be activated on Oct 28. Voyager 1 will be next.

Data will be sent at 16 bps with a 96 kW transmitter using the 70-m dish at DSN Canberra.
Distance: 20 billion km; 18:40 light hours

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-voyager-team-focuses-on-software-patch-thrusters
#Voyager
1/n

Interesting factoid - Had the OSIRIS-REx team voted “No go” for today's landing attempt, then the spacecraft would have been diverted and would have sailed past Earth. The next landing attempt would have taken place in 2025.
#OSIRISREX #Bennu
2/n

Webcast of OSIRIS-REx sample return mission has begun.

Another 15,000 km to go before touchdown.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kdwyqctp908
#OSIRISREX #Bennu
6/n

Here are some interesting schematics of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft and the capsule carrying rubble and regolith from asteroid Bennu.

The capsule is protected by a heat shield that regulates the temperature inside, keeping the sample below 167 degrees Fahrenheit, reminiscent of Bennu’s surface.

More info at https://spaceflight101.com/osiris-rex/osiris-rex-spacecraft-overview/

#OSIRISREX #Bennu
4/n

The purpose of the OSIRIS-REx mission is to understand where organic molecules and liquid water, two key ingredients for life on Earth, came from.

One theory is that they were synthesized in asteroids like Bennu where conditions were more favorable for such chemistry.

Bennu has remain relatively unchanged for billions of years, its organic molecules hopefully still intact.

Will we find these molecules of life in Bennu’s rocks?

#OSIRISREX #Bennu
3/n

First sighting of the OSIRIS-REx capsule as it entered the atmosphere at 10:42 a.m. EDT.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kdwyqctp908
#OSIRISREX #Bennu
9/n

Half an hour to go before the OSIRIS-REx capsule, now 5,000 km away, hits Earth's atmosphere. Note that the capsule is spin-stabilized and carries no thrusters. It's trajectory is all based on science, physics and math!

There are no location sensors on the capsule either, so it will be tracked using radar and optical and infra-red cameras.

An optical camera aboard a NASA H135 helicopter will provide a live feed of the descent and landing soon.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/osiris-rex/
#OSIRISREX #Bennu
8/n

The landing site for the OSIRIS-REx capsule is at the Air Force Utah Test and Training Range, about 100 km west of Salt Lake City.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Utah+Test+and+Training+Range+(South+part)/@40.625279,-113.3888656,151645m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x80ac945c83c2c2ab:0x4f35189facdd8918!8m2!3d40.6571368!4d-113.4382994!16zL20vMGR6ZG0y?entry=ttu
#OSIRISREX #Bennu
7/n

We have touchdown!!!

#OSIRISREX #Bennu
11/n

Now descending with the parachute. What a beautiful sight!

#OSIRISREX #Bennu
10/n

There She lies, on the sands of Utah, protecting her precious cargo, from the rigors of space and those of Earth.

"Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."

#OSIRISREX #OSIRISAPEX #Apophis
13/n

@mcnees
A few pics of the making of the Golden Record.

https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/golden-record/making-of-the-golden-record/
#Voyager

Update on Voyager 2, which lost contact with earth on July 21 due a mispointed antenna.

Voyager 2 is programmed to reset its orientation Oct 15; meanwhile, NASA is trying to make contact.

On Jul 31, the DSN station in Canberra picked up a faint signal, not strong enough to decode. It shows that V2 is healthy and calling home periodically as programmed.

On Aug 3, some commands were blasted out from Canberra (perhaps at higher power) in the hope that, V2 can decode it and repoint.

#Voyager
1/n

How can Voyager 2 decode a signal when its antenna is mispointed by 2°?

The graphic below shows the "antenna pattern" of the Voyager antenna. Most of the downlink energy is located in the narrow main lobe, but there is some energy in the side lobes too. The graphic shows 2 such sidelobes.

The uplink signal strength has similar but wider lobes, so it is possible for V2 to decode a high power signal from the DSN at a 2° offset. Here's hoping that it does 🤞

https://descanso.jpl.nasa.gov/DPSummary/Descanso4--Voyager_new.pdf
#Voyager
2/n

There is some more info on Voyager 2 in this earlier thread.
https://fosstodon.org/@AkaSci/110792770324764839
#Voyager
4/n

To make matters worse, 1 of 2 receivers on Voyager 2 is healthy, but a fault prevents it from accurately tracking the receive signal. Signal frequency varies due to the rotation of the earth (doppler) and receiver temperature. V1 can track signals that are off by +-100 KHz, but V2 can only handle +-100 Hz. For V2, tx from earth is pre-compensated in freq, taking earth rotation and V2 temp. into account.

W/o temp. info, they might be trying multiple values.

https://descanso.jpl.nasa.gov/DPSummary/Descanso4--Voyager_new.pdf
#Voyager
3/n

Hallelujah. It Worked!
NASA has reestablished full communications with Voyager 2!!!

The commands sent from DSN Canberra on Aug 3 were received by Voyager 2 and it is repointed.

At 12:29 a.m. EDT on Aug. 4, 2023, science and telemetry data started to be received from V2.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/sunspot/2023/07/28/mission-update-voyager-2-communications-pause/
#Voyager
5/n

Oops! Earth has temporarily lost contact with the Voyager 2 spacecraft.

A series of planned commands sent to the spacecraft on July 21 inadvertently caused its antenna to get mispointed by 2°. NASA can no longer send commands or receive data from Voyager 2 via the DSN.

Voyager 2 is programmed to reset its orientation multiple times each year to keep its antenna pointing at Earth; the next reset will occur on Oct 15, which should restore communications.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/sunspot/2023/07/28/mission-update-voyager-2-communications-pause/
#Voyager
1/n