Orbital ATK Antares OA8 Launch has scrubbed

The launch of Orbital ATK's Antares rocket is postponed for24h and will take place 13h27 local time (MET) on Sunday November 12th. The reason was a airplane within the launch pad.

T minus 00-02-30-00

Still 2h30m to go for lift off for the Orbital ATK Antares rocket. This rocket will be launched from the launchpad in Virginia and will bring Spacecraft Cygnus into space in order to resupply the International Space Station ISS. See the launch live on NASA TV

Collage

Iridescence clouds

Cirrus clouds are responsible for the diffraction of light from the sun (reflected this evening by the moon) resulting in colored clouds.

Sundogs

High clouds are responsible for some nice Sun dogs.

Weather Summary Oktober 2017

Oktober 2017 was warmer then average (+2°C) and rainfall was lower then average (-50l/m2). Rainfall was very low, but we had every two days rainfall. Temperatures did not drop below 0°C. This Oktober 2017 is comparable with Oktober 2014. 

My Boarding Pass to Mars

I just signed up for a trip to Mars. When the Mars Lander InSight (Interior Explorations using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport) in November 2018 will land on Mars; it will carry hundreds of thousands of names on a small silicon microchip, including my name :)

The InSight mission will seek to understand the evolutionary formation of rocky planets, including Earth, by investigating the interior structure and processes of Mars. InSight will also investigate the dynamics of Martian tectonic activity and meteorite impacts, which could offer clues about such phenomena on Earth.

Do you want to be onboard? See this NASA link.