Space News Update - October 24, 2014 -

1. Space News Update - October 24, 2014 - In the News Story 1: Chinese probe launched on round-trip flight to the moon Story 2: Organic Molecules in Titan's Atmosphere Are Intriguingly Skewed Story 3: Assembly Complete for NASA’s Maiden Orion Spacecraft Launching in December 2014 Departments The Night Sky ISS Sighting OpportunitiesSpace Calendar NASA-TV Highlights Food for Thought Space Image of the Week

2. Chinese probe launched on round-trip flight to the moon

3. Organic Molecules in Titan's Atmosphere Are Intriguingly Skewed

4. Assembly Complete for NASA’s Maiden Orion Spacecraft Launching in December 2014

5. The Night Sky Friday, October 24 As the stars come out, Deneb is nearly straight overhead for skywatchers at mid-northern latitudes. Brighter Vega is west of the zenith. Altair is farther from the zenith toward the south. Saturday, October 25 A half hour after sunset, spot the thin waxing crescent Moon very low in the west-southwest. Look to its lower right to see whether you can still detect Saturn, which has been sinking lower every day. Binoculars help. Sunday, October 26 As autumn proceeds, the Great Square of Pegasus shines ever higher in the east at nightfall. It's still balancing on one corner. Later in the night and the season, it turns to rest upright very high when you face south. Monday, October 27 Spot Mars to the left of the waxing crescent Moon at nightfall, as shown here. Tuesday, October 28 This evening Mars is below the Moon at nightfall, as shown above. Sky & Telescope

6. ISS Sighting Opportunities ISS For Denver: Sighting information for other cities can be found at NASA’s Satellite Sighting Information

7. NASA-TV Highlights (all times Eastern Daylight Time) 9:30 a.m., Saturday, October 25 - Release of the SpaceX/Dragon CRS-4 Cargo Craft from the ISS (all channels) 1 p.m., Sunday, October 26 - Orbital CRS-3 Prelaunch News Conference (all channels) 2 p.m., Sunday, October 26 - Orbital CRS-3 Mission Science Cargo Overview Briefing (all channels) 1:30 a.m., Monday, October 27 - Coverage of the ISS Progress 56 Cargo Ship Undocking from the ISS (all channels) 10 a.m., Monday, October 27 - Live coverage of Destination Station: ISS Technology Forum (all channels) 5:15 p.m., Monday, October 27 - Video B-Roll of Orbital Sciences/Cygnus CRS-3 Processing (all channels) 5:45 p.m., Monday, October 27 - Coverage of the Launch of Orbital Sciences’ Antares Rocket and the Cygnus Cargo Ship to the ISS (all channels) 8:15 p.m., Monday, October 27 - Orbital Sciences/Cygnus CRS-3 Post-Launch News Conference – WFF (all channels) 12:25 p.m., Tuesday, October 28 - ISS Expedition 41 In-Flight interviews for NASA Flight Engineer Barry Wilmore with Nashville, TN Public Radio and WCYB-TV, Tri-Cities TV (all channels) Watch NASA TV online by going to the NASA website

8. Space Calendar Oct 24 - [Oct 17] Chang'e 5 CZ-3Z Launch (China Moon Orbiter) Oct 24 - [Oct 22] Cassini, Titan Flyby Oct 24 - Meridian 7 Soyuz 2-1A-Fregat Launch Oct 24 - MESSENGER, Orbital Change Maneuver Oct 24 - Comet C/2014 S3 (PANSTARRS) At Opposition (1.235 AU) Oct 24 - Comet 81P/WildAt Opposition (3.480 AU) Oct 24 - Asteroid 12410 Donald Duck Closest Approach To Earth (1.448 AU) Oct 24 - [Oct 18] Wilhelm Weber's 210th Birthday (1804) Oct 25 - [Oct 23] Dragon CRS-4 Return To Earth (International Space Station) Oct 25 - Moon Occults Saturn Oct 25 - Comet C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring)Perihelion (1.399 AU) Oct 25 - Comet 125P/SpacewatchAt Opposition (3.210 AU) Oct 25 - Comet P/2005 JN (Spacewatch)At Opposition (3.660 AU) Oct 25 - Comet C/2013 U2 (Holvorcem)Perihelion (5.118 AU) Oct 25 - [Oct 24] Asteroid 2014 UF8Near-Earth Flyby (0.046 AU) Oct 25 - Asteroid 7042 Carver Closest Approach To Earth (1.799 AU) Oct 25 - Plutino 47171 (1999 TC36)At Opposition (29.572 AU) Oct 25 - Kuiper Belt Object 15760 (1992 QB1) At Opposition (40.220 AU) Oct 25 - Jasper Dark Sky Festival 2014, Jasper, Canada Oct 25 - Lost Dutchman State Park Star Party, Apache Junction, Arizona Oct 25 - [Oct 19] Heinrich Schwabe's 225th Birthday (1789) Oct 25-26 - Solar Eclipse Conference 2014, Cloudcroft, New Mexico Oct 26 - European Summer Time Ends - Set Clock Back 1 Hour (European Union) Oct 26 - Comet 234P/LINEARAt Opposition (3.513 AU) Oct 26 - Asteroid 634 Ute Occults HIP 98399 (6.8 Magnitude Star) Oct 26 - Asteroid 1221 AmorClosest Approach To Earth (2.064 AU) Oct 26 - 10th Anniversary (2004), Cassini, 1st Targeted Titan Flyby Oct 27 - [Oct 23] Cygnus CRS Orb-3/ Flock-1d 1-26/ Arkyd-3/ RACEAntares-130 Launch (International Space Station) Oct 27 - Cassini, Orbital Trim Maneuver #395 (OTM-395) Oct 27 - Asteroid 2009 TD8Near-Earth Flyby (0.027 AU) Oct 27 - Kuiper Belt Object 42301 (2001 UR163)At Opposition (51.036 AU) Oct 28 - Comet P/2014 M4 (PANSTARRS)Closest Approach To Earth (1.422 AU) Oct 28 - Comet P/2009 WX51 (Catalina)Closest Approach To Earth (2.021 AU) Oct 28 - Asteroid 2355 Nei Monggol Occults HIP 109375 (6.4 Magnitude Star) Oct 28 - [Oct 21] Asteroid 2014 UG5Near-Earth Flyby (0.074 AU) Oct 28 - Asteroid 20469 Dudleymoore Closest Approach To Earth (1.553 AU) Oct 28 - 40th Anniversary (1974), Luna 23 Launch (USSR Moon Lander) JPL Space Calendar

9. Food for Thought Lockheed Martin's fusion goals meet skepticism

10. Space Image of the Week This Is the Very First Photo of Earth From Space