THE SOLSTICE IS THIS WEEKEND: The annual December solstice occurs this Saturday, Dec. 21st, at 4:19 a.m. EST. It marks the beginning of winter in the northern hemisphere amd summer in the southern hemisphere. Wherever you live, Happy Solstice! Solar flare alerts: SMS Text
CHINA'S NEW MEGACONSTELLATION: Elon Musk has competition. Its name is "China." This past Monday, Dec. 16th, the China Satellite Network Group Co., Ltd., launched the first group of 10 satellites for China's new Guowang megaconstellation. Less than 24 hours later, Tom Warner watched them fly over Rapid City, South Dakota:
"I saw the Guowang satellite train on the evening of Dec 16th, as it passed north to south over Rapid City," says Warner. "Some of the satellites flared intensely reflecting sunlight from the sun that had set earlier."
Guowang is a Chinese initiative to compete with Starlink. Officials say that almost 13,000 satellites are planned for the network, with at least half launching before 2032. The role of Starlink in the Ukraine war caught the attention of Chinese military analysts, and they are determined to control their own satellite network to avoid dependence on foreign powers.
This is actually China's second megaconstellation of 2024. On Aug. 6th, China launched the first 18 satellites of its new Thousand Sails network, with subsequent launches boosting the total to 54. For comparison, Starlink currently has about 7,000 satellites, so China still has a long way to go.
Liftoff of the Long March 5B carrying the first group of Guowang satellites. Credit: Ourspace
Scientists have raised many concerns about Starlink including light-pollution of the night sky, a potential traffic jam in low-Earth orbit, metallic contamination of the stratosphere, and even ozone depletion. Guowang and Thousand Sails will only multiply those concerns. It's a brand new Space Race with many uncharted hazards ahead.
Have you seen the Guowang satellites? Submit your photos here.
more images: from Daniel Parrott of Oklahoma City, OK.
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CHRISTMAS GIFTS FROM THE EDGE OF SPACE: Christmas is coming. Are you looking for a far-out gift? Check out the Earth to Sky Store. It's filled with unique items that have flown to the edge of space onboard cosmic ray research balloons.
Carried aloft by giant helium balloons, these unique gifts have flown above 99.7% of Earth's atmosphere, experiencing space-like blasts of cosmic rays, extreme cold, and a wild ride parachuting back to Earth after the balloon explodes. Even Amazon doesn't carry items this far out.
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