NASA completes engine test firing of moon rocket on 2nd try
With this critical test finally finished, NASA now will send the rocket segment to Kennedy Space Center for launch preparations. (NASA via AP)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. โ NASA completed an engine test firing of its moon rocket Thursday, after the first attempt in January ended prematurely. This time, the four main engines of the rocketโs core stage remained ignited for the full eight minutes. John Honeycutt, NASA's program manager for the Space Launch System or SLS rocket, said everything seemed to go well in Thursday's test firing. The SLS rocket will send an empty Orion capsule to the moon and back.
SpaceX launches last rocket of 2020 from Kennedy Space Center
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. โ SpaceXโs last launch of 2020 went off without a hitch Saturday morning from Floridaโs Space Coast. A Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Kennedy Space Center at 9 a.m., sending a secret spy satellite owned by the National Reconnaissance Office into orbit. A few minutes after launching the NROL-108 mission, SpaceX successfully landed Falcon 9โฒs 162-foot first stage booster at Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Triple sonic boomsAfter liftoff, Falcon 9โฒs 162-foot first-stage booster will separate from the second stage, then start its descent back toward Florida. Its target: Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, which is about 9 miles south of pad 39A.
First woman, next man on moon will come from these NASA 18
The first woman and next man on the moon will come from this elite group. The announcement was made at Floridaโs Kennedy Space Center, beneath one of only three remaining Saturn V moon rockets from the 1960s and 1970s Apollo program. Half of the NASA astronauts have spaceflight experience. Two are at the International Space Station right now: Kate Rubins and Victor Glover. The other experienced members on the list include Kjell Lindgren, Anne McClain and Scott Tingle, both former space station residents.
Double Dragons: SpaceX launches space station supplies
The Dragon โ packed with Christmas treats and presents โ should reach the space station on Monday, joining the Dragon that delivered four astronauts last month. โDragons everywhere you look,โ said Kenny Todd, NASAโs deputy space station program manager. With NASAโs commercial crew program officially under way, SpaceX expects to always have at least one Dragon capsule at the space station. The station crew watched a live broadcast of the launch, from 250 miles (400 kilometers) up. This updated cargo-carrying model โ as large as the SpaceX crew capsule โ will dock to the orbiting lab by itself.
SpaceX capsule with 4 astronauts reaches space station
In this frame grab from NASA TV, the SpaceX Dragon is seen after docking at the International Space Station, late Monday, Nov. 16, 2020. (NASA TV via AP)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. โ SpaceXโs newly launched capsule with four astronauts arrived Monday at the International Space Station, their new home until spring. The Dragon capsule pulled up and docked late Monday night, following a 27-hour, completely automated flight from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. โOh, what a good voice to hear,โ space station astronaut Kate Rubins called out when the Dragon's commander, Mike Hopkins, first made radio contact. And so it will go, with SpaceX โ and eventually Boeing โ transporting astronauts to and from the station for NASA.
Baby Yoda catches ride on SpaceX Crew Dragon into orbit with astronauts
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. โ Following the tradition of bringing a โgravity indicatorโ on their spaceflight, astronauts in the Dragon Capsule selected โBaby Yodaโ for their journey to the ISS. The crew kept โThe Childโ a secret until they reached zero-gravity. NASA and SpaceX also did not reveal the identity of the fifth passenger until all astronauts were ready. The character, as fans know, is part of the Disney Spin-Off Star Wars series โThe Mandalorian.โClick here to read more.
SpaceX flying ex-football players, flight controller, Scout
NASA astronauts, from left, Shannon Walker, Victor Glover, and Michael Hopkins and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Soichi Noguchi leave the Operations and Checkout Building on their way to launch pad 39A for the SpaceX Crew-1 mission to the International Space Station at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020. (Photo/John Raoux)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. โ SpaceXโs second crew has two military officers who played college football, a former space shuttle flight controller, and the first person in decades to launch aboard three kinds of rocketships. The three Americans and one Japanese should reach the International Space Station late Monday for a five- to six-month stay, following Sunday's liftoff from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. A brief look at each:
Liftoff! SpaceX launches 4 astronauts on 6-month journey
It is due to reach the space station late Monday and remain there until spring. NASA policy at Kennedy Space Center requires anyone testing positive for coronavirus to quarantine and remain isolated. Even the two astronauts on the first SpaceX crew flight stayed behind at Johnson Space Center in Houston. โI didnโt start breathing until about a minute after it took off,โ Pence said during a stop at SpaceX Launch Control to congratulate the workers. The four astronauts will be joining two Russians and one American who flew to the space station last month from Kazakhstan.
Crew climbs aboard SpaceX with 50/50 chance of launch this evening
NASA and SpaceX will have to thread the needle to launch the SpaceX Crew-1 Sunday evening. The SpaceX launch that was supposed to take place Saturday evening was pushed back 24 hours due to strong onshore winds. The mission, called Crew-1, will launch aboard a Crew Dragon spacecraft on an 8.5-hour trip to the International Space Station. It will be the first fully-crewed SpaceX launch since the inaugural May 2020 SpaceX demonstration mission that sent astronauts Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken to the International Space Station aboard a Crew Dragon capsule. NASA selected Boeing and SpaceX in September 2014 to transport crew to the International Space Station from the United States.
SpaceX crew flight delayed; Musk gets mixed COVID-19 results
Fridayโs postponement news came after SpaceX chief Elon Musk disclosed he had gotten mixed test results for COVID-19 and was awaiting the outcome of a more definitive test. โSo โElon Musk Tests Negative for Covidโ is an equally correct title,โ he tweeted. Four astronauts โ three Americans and one Japanese โ are scheduled to rocket to the International Space Station on Sunday night. The upcoming crew flight comes just three months after the end of the test flight with Hurley and Bob Behnken, both NASA astronauts. NASA and SpaceX are especially eager to retrieve this first-stage booster; it will be used for the next crew launch.
New engines set to blast the next astronauts to International Space Station
The mission, called Crew-1, will see a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch a Crew Dragon spacecraft on an 8.5-hour trip to the International Space Station. Weather permitting, liftoff is set for Saturday evening at 7:49 p.m.For NASA, this flight marks a start of regular crew rotations to the International Space Station by private companies ferrying the astronauts. This flight will double the number of crew members from the Demo-2 test flight earlier this year. Glover, Hopkins, Walker, and Noguchi will be joining three astronauts already on board the space station. The Japanese space agency is sending one of its veteran astronauts on his third flight to the ISS.
NASAโs historic human launch to Space Station Saturday
This Saturday three American astronauts and a Japanese astronaut will blast off to the International Space Station from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a SpaceX rocket. This will be the first fully-crewed SpaceX launch since the inaugural May 2020 SpaceX demonstration mission that sent astronauts Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken to the International Space Station aboard a Crew Dragon capsule. The goal is to have safe, reliable and cost-effective access to and from the International Space Station and to foster commercial access to other potential low-Earth orbit destinations. NASA selected Boeing and SpaceX in September 2014 to transport crew to the International Space Station from the United States. The company plans a second unpiloted test flight in a couple of months; the first one suffered so many software problems that the Starliner capsule failed to reach the space station.
Arizona Senate race could impact confirmation of new justice
FILE - In this May 16, 2011, file photo, former NASA astronaut STS-134 commander Mark Kelly, front, waves a he leaves the Operations and Checkout Building with fellow crew members, including Mike Fincke, for a trip to Launch Pad 39-A, and a planned liftoff on the space shuttle Endeavour at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. A Kelly victory would shrink the GOP's Senate majority at a crucial moment and complicate the path to confirmation for President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File)
Space Curious: The origin story of the International Space Station
That means most college students today have never known a day without an astronaut orbiting above them on the International Space Station. The International Space Station, or ISS, is just shy of the same length as an American football field and the largest spacecraft ever built. โI felt as an International Space Station, we needed to enter as an international crew.โAdCabana and Krikalev went into the ISS at the same time. โSergei and I enter side by side, so there was no first person to enter the International Space Station,โ Cabana said. Hosted by space reporter Emilee Speck, each episode is designed to inspire everyone, from the space curious to the space fanatics.
On a space high? Tune in to this outer space playlist
Letโs be serious, weโre all in a space mood after watching NASA astronauts launch from Kennedy Space Center last month. Whether youโre taking your shuttle out for a Sunday drive, taking a road trip, or blasting off to the stars -- a playlist is absolutely necessary to make the trip memorable. NASA Astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley made a playlist for their 3-mile ride to Launch Complex 39A before liftoff. Youโll hear melodies like โSpace Oddityโ, โRocket Manโ as well as โA Sky Full of Starsโ made famous by Coldplay. Buckle up and don your space suit -- or whatever NASA apparel you have close by, as we dive into our space jams.
Countdown to launch: Live views of SpaceX Falcon 9, Crew Dragon
As we near todays second attempt to launch of SpaceXs Demo-2 with NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, were providing multiple live views of the Falcon 9 rocket on historic Pad 39A of Kennedy Space Center. On our Launch America Live page (snapshot below), were pulling live feeds from NASA and our own cameras to show several angles in the run-up to and beyond the scheduled 3:22 p.m. launch. We start with just a few camera angles in the morning and add more as more feeds come online as the launch window nears. MORE ONLINE: Launch America Special SectionCountdown to LaunchStarting at 3 p.m., you can also watch News4Jaxs extended launch coverage on Channel 4 and streaming on all our digital platforms. You dont have to pick between the choose your own experience on our Live Launch page or our live broadcast coverage.
Who makes the call? The 45th Space Wing Weather Squadron
A team of meteorologists and military officers and enlisted personnel and civilians working at Patrick Air Force Base canโt control the weather either. But itโs the job of the 45th Space Wing Weather Squadron job to let launch managers know if it is safe to sen men (and often women) into space. (U.S. Air Force photo by Joshua Conti)Detachment 11 of the 2nd Weather Squadron became the 45th Weather Squadron under the 45th Operations Group when the 45th Space Wing was activated in November 1991. Despite its name, the unit monitored the collection and analysis of all weather data pertinent to space launch operations. The 45th gives better odds of favorable weather on Sunday afternoon, with only a 40% chance of weather that would violate launch rules.
How to watch the historic astronaut launch with your children: Thereโs an invaluable lesson here
If it goes off as planned, this will mark the first mission involving astronauts from U.S. soil since 2011. Still, NASA astronaut Bob Behnken has said he and Doug Hurley are โreally comfortableโ with the risks. So youโre making educated guesses, at best.โIt seems thereโs just more uncharted territory when it comes to space travel. โThe first astronauts really started out as test pilots,โ Garfinkle said. But assuming this launch goes well, โIt would be great for kids to see a successful, triumphant moment of science,โ Fink said.
SpaceX-NASA launch: What to know ahead of Saturdays planned flight
And yes, the Crew Dragon does have a toilet just in case. But one astronaut who worked on the Crew Dragon program said he has seen the design and said the accommodations are "perfectly adequate for that task." Officials in both countries have held up their symbiotic relationship on the International Space Station as a beacon of post-Cold War cooperation. NASA officials said Russia and Japan, another ISS partner, both joined discussions for a Crew Dragon safety review last week. Each Crew Dragon spacecraft could also make multiple trips to space, the company has suggested.
For launch spectators, storms more worrisome than virus
The two astronauts are set to travel on the SpaceX test flight to the International Space Station. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)TITUSVILLE, Fla. For the spectators gathered along the Space Coast on Wednesday for an astronaut launch, the rumbling thunder and darkening clouds were more worrisome than any pandemic. They turned out to watch the first launch with astronauts from Florida in almost a decade, and the first by a private company, SpaceX. About half of the spectators at the Titusville park wore masks as encouraged by health officials to stop the spread of the new coronavirus. I wanted them to see the flip side and get to see the next era of space travel," said Gatz, who lives about an hour away in Deltona.
SpaceX ready to launch NASA astronauts, back on home turf
(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. A SpaceX rocket is ready to boost two NASA astronauts into orbit Wednesday, the first launch of Americans from the U.S. in nearly a decade. Riding aboard the brand new SpaceX Dragon capsule for the historic flight: veteran NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken. SpaceX is controlling the vehicle, theres no fluff about that, said Norm Knight, a NASA flight operations manager. The last time astronauts launched from Florida was on NASAs final space shuttle flight in July 2011. Development of SpaceXs Dragon and Boeings Starliner capsules took longer than expected, however, and the U.S. has been paying Russia to launch NASA astronauts in the interim.
Countdown to launch: Live views of SpaceX Falcon 9, Crew Dragon
As we near the launch of SpaceXs Demo-2 with NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, launch fans can see multiple live views of the Falcon 9 rocket on historic Pad 39A of Kennedy Space Center. On our Launch America Live page, were pulling live feeds from NASA and our own cameras to show several angles in the run up to and beyond the scheduled 4:33 p.m. launch. Countdown to LaunchStarting at 4 p.m., you can also watch News4Jaxs extended launch coverage on Channel 4 and streaming on all our digital platforms. You dont have to pick between the choose your own experience on our Live Launch page or our live broadcast coverage. Watch WJXT on your TV while directing your own coverage on your phone, tablet or laptop.
Weather looking up for historic SpaceX launch of NASA astronauts
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. โ With the weather looking up, SpaceX and NASA officials vowed Tuesday to keep crew safety the top priority for the nation's first astronaut launch to orbit in nearly a decade. Veteran NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken were set to make history Wednesday afternoon, riding SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule to the International Space Station on a test flight. SpaceX has been launching cargo capsules to the space station since 2012. NASA hired SpaceX and Boeing in 2014 to transport astronauts to the space station, after commercial cargo shipments had taken off. Development of SpaceXโs Dragon and Boeingโs Starliner capsules took longer than expected, however, and the U.S. has been paying Russia to launch NASA astronauts in the interim.
Weather better for historic SpaceX launch of NASA astronauts
Veteran NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken were set to make history Wednesday afternoon, riding SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule to the International Space Station on a test flight. On the eve of the launch, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said from Kennedy Space Center that both the space agency and SpaceX have been diligent about making sure everyone in the launch loop knows they're free to halt the countdown if there's a concern. SpaceX has been launching cargo capsules to the space station since 2012. NASA hired SpaceX and Boeing in 2014 to transport astronauts to the space station, after commercial cargo shipments had taken off. Development of SpaceX's Dragon and Boeing's Starliner capsules took longer than expected, however, and the U.S. has been paying Russia to launch NASA astronauts in the interim.
Stormy weather puts damper on SpaceX's 1st astronaut launch
(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. Stormy weather is threatening to delay SpaceXs first astronaut launch. It will be the first time astronauts launch from Florida in nine years and a first for a private company. We're continuing to be vigilant and careful and make sure we do this right.Forecasters put the odds of acceptable launch weather at 40%. Hans Koenigsmann, a vice president for SpaceX, said the launch control team will incorporate global weather patterns and models to determine whether it's safe to launch. If the weather gods are working with us," he said, liftoff will occur at 4:33 p.m. SpaceX has a split-second launch window.
NASA exec resigns days before 1st astronaut launch in years
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. โ NASAโs chief of human exploration has resigned just days before the first astronaut launch in nearly a decade from Kennedy Space Center. NASA spokesman Bob Jacobs would only say Loverro decided to resign and, beyond that, the agency cannot discuss personnel issues. The announcement comes just eight days before SpaceX attempts to launch its first astronauts under NASAโs commercial crew program. Besides overseeing SpaceX and Boeing's effort to ferry NASA astronauts to the International Space Station, Loverro was in charge of NASA's Artemis moon-landing program. ___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Instituteโs Department of Science Education.
Starlink-7 rocket launch from Kennedy Space Center set for Thursday
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ The launch was postponed, due to staffing at the Kennedy Space Center issues related to the Coronavirus outbreak. SpaceX has set the new launch window on Thursday at 3:16pm for Starlink-7. This launch from the SpaceX program will be the seventh Starlink launch of their series designed to deploy satellites that will support a new, globally accessible broadband internet. According to SpaceX they are leveraging their experience in building rockets and spacecraft to deploy the worldโs most advanced broadband internet system. Prior to orbit raise, SpaceX engineers will conduct data reviews to ensure all Starlink satellites are operating as intended.
Loud boom heard Sunday was space plane returning
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - People who live along the coast may have heard a loud boom Sunday. The U.S. Air Force says its secretive X-37B unmanned space plane returned to the Kennedy Space Center after nearly two years in orbit. "The X-37B continues to demonstrate the importance of a reusable space plane," Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett said in a statement. The X-37B is considered the Air Force's top premier reusable, unmanned spacecraft. Its mission experiments are typically kept top secret but have a focus on Air Force Research Laboratory experiments along with providing a lift into orbit for small satellites.