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[…] satellites, almost 6,700 of which have been deployed via 179 Falcon 9 launches between May 2019 and last week, Starshield is described as a purpose-built constellation to afford new “disruptive” military […]
[…] Tuesday, Florida’s Space Coast was treated to a stunning sight when SpaceX’s tenth Falcon Heavy lifted off of Launch Complex 39A. Onboard the rocket was NASA’s GOES-U satellite, which will continue a six-decade legacy of […]
[…] And from January 2024, SpaceX has also flown multiple Starlinks “Direct to Cellular” to allow mobile network providers to offer “seamless global access to texting, calling and navigation” whether “on land, lakes or coastal waters”, without the need for change hardware or firmware. The Direct-to-Cell satellites, 13 of which will be aboard B1075 for tomorrow's Vandenberg launch, feature advanced modems that serve as cell towers in space to eliminate dead zones with network integration similar to the from a standard roaming partner, according to SpaceX. […]
[…] launches in May alone. Two boosters have reached life-leading 21st flights and in early March a pair of missions flew just one hour and 51 minutes apart, setting a new launch-to-launch turnaround […]
[…] The first part of AmericaSpace’s in-depth story on the Artemis 2 science campaign, covering the status of the project, its leaders, and its contributions to the future of lunar science, can be found HERE. […]
@SpaceX has flown its first 22x-launched Falcon 9, adding a new record to a record-breaking 2024.
The post SpaceX Launches First 22x-Flown Booster, Successfully Lands Offshore first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] The first part of AmericaSpace’s in-depth story on the Artemis 2 science campaign, covering the status of the project, its leaders, and its contributions to the future of lunar science, can be found HERE. […]
While the Artemis 2 mission will spend less than an hour in the vicinity of the Moon, it will still be able to tackle some novel science objectives. The crew will observe and photograph impact, volcanic, and tectonic features to learn more about our nearest neighbor's history and composition.
The post Colors, Impacts, and Volcanoes: Big Science from a Brief Lunar Flyby (Part 2) first appeared on AmericaSpace.
@SpaceX has flown its first Falcon Heavy of 2024, wrapping up its 65th total launch of the year.
The post Falcon Heavy Launches, GOES-U Heads for Geostationary Orbit first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] As previously outlined by AmericaSpace, the GOES-U launch has met with several weeks of delay, pushed from April into June following an oxidizer leak discovered earlier this year in the Falcon Heavy’s B1087 center core during tests at the SpaceX Rocket Development Facility in McGregor, Texas. Flying tonight’s mission, the high-energy requirements and direct insertion of GOES-U into a 22,300-mile (35,900-kilogram) Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) requires B1087 to be expended, while the B1072 and B1086 side-boosters will be recovered, returning to synchronized touchdowns on Landing Zones (LZ)-1 and 2 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, about eight minutes and 11 seconds after liftoff. […]
[…] As previously outlined by AmericaSpace, the GOES-U launch has met with several weeks of delay, pushed from April into June following an oxidizer leak discovered earlier this year in the Falcon Heavy’s B1087 center core during tests at the SpaceX Rocket Development Facility in McGregor, Texas. Flying tonight’s mission, the high-energy requirements and direct insertion of GOES-U into a 22,300-mile (35,900-kilogram) Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) requires B1087 to be expended, while the B1072 and B1086 side-boosters will be recovered, returning to synchronized touchdowns on Landing Zones (LZ)-1 and 2 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, about eight minutes and 11 seconds after liftoff. […]
[…] in the wings for almost two weeks, having originally been earmarked to ride the B1073 booster—already a 15-launch veteran—on 12 June. However, after falling foul to a pair of back-to-back weather scrubs, the mission […]
Teams continue to watch the weather as @SpaceX’s first Falcon Heavy of 2024 prepares to “GOES”.
The post Teams Watch Weather, As 2024’s First Falcon Heavy Prepares to Launch GOES-U Tomorrow first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] Despite iffy weather odds, SpaceX threaded the needle with a Starlink-laden mission out of storied Space Launch Complex (SLC)-40 at Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Sunday evening, as it pushed the total number of these flat-packed internet communications satellites orbited since the start of 2024 to just past 1,000. The veteran B1078 booster—flying for her 11th time in a little more than a year—took flight at 1:15 p.m. EDT, kicking off the sixth Falcon 9 launch of June and beginning an anticipated three-day triple-header of missions that will also see another Starlink flight out of Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., and the return of the mammoth Falcon Heavy. […]
[…] Despite iffy weather odds, SpaceX threaded the needle with a Starlink-laden mission out of storied Space Launch Complex (SLC)-40 at Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Sunday evening, as it pushed the total number of these flat-packed internet communications satellites orbited since the start of 2024 to just past 1,000. The veteran B1078 booster—flying for her 11th time in a little more than a year—took flight at 1:15 p.m. EDT, kicking off the sixth Falcon 9 launch of June and beginning an anticipated three-day triple-header of missions that will also see another Starlink flight out of Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., and the return of the mammoth Falcon Heavy. […]
After a relatively quiet middle of the month, @SpaceX has dramatically picked up the pace with the first mission of an intended three-day triple-header of Falcon 9 launches.
The post SpaceX Launches June’s Sixth Falcon 9 Mission, Deploys 1,000th Starlink of Year first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] then, it has also raised seven batches of Starlink, a pair of O3b mPOWER broadband satellites and the Space Force's top-secret USSF-124 payload comprised of six discrete spacecraft—two hypersonic and ballistic tracking space sensor satellites (HBTSS) for the Missile Defense […]
[…] And from January 2024, SpaceX has also flown multiple Starlinks “Direct to Cellular” to allow mobile network providers to offer “seamless global access to texting, calling and navigation” whether “on land, lakes or coastal waters”, without the need for change hardware or firmware. The Direct-to-Cell satellites, 13 of which will be aboard B1075 for tomorrow's Vandenberg launch, feature advanced modems that serve as cell towers in space to eliminate dead zones with network integration similar to the from a standard roaming partner, according to SpaceX. […]
[…] And since January 2024, SpaceX has also flown multiple “Direct-to-Cell” Starlinks to permit mobile network providers to offer “seamless global access to texting, calling and browsing” whether “on land, lakes or coastal waters”, without the need to change hardware or firmware. The Direct-to-Cell satellites—13 of which will be aboard B1075 for tomorrow’s Vandenberg launch—possess advanced modems which serve as a cellphone tower in space to eliminate dead zones with network integration similar to a standard roaming partner, according to SpaceX. […]
[…] at Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station during an “instantaneous” window at 10:52:15 a.m. EDT on 5 June. Wilmore and Williams docked Starliner at the forward port of the station’s Harmony node at 1:34 […]
@NASA_Astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Suni Williams will remain aboard @Space_Station until at least early July, following a joint NASA/Boeing statement on Friday.
The post CFT Starliner Departure Stands Down, Targets NET July Return to Earth first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] which are required for America’s return to the Moon on Artemis 3 were assessed by the GAO: the Orion crew capsule, the Starship lunar lander, and the AxEMU space suit. The agency’s concise summaries […]
[…] increased dramatically in 2024 alone, rising from a peak of nine launches per month by late 2023 to ten by the end of January, eleven and twelve by the end of March and thirteen and fourteen at the close of May, SpaceX has […]
[…] dramatically in 2024 alone, rising from a peak of nine launches per month by late 2023 to ten by the end of January, eleven and twelve by the end of March and thirteen and fourteen at the close of […]
After 10 launchless days, on Tuesday evening @SpaceX resumed Falcon 9 missions with a busy end of June ahead.
The post SpaceX Resumes Falcon 9 Flights, As June Launch Cadence Ramps Up first appeared on AmericaSpace.
OTD in 1983, Sally Ride became the first American woman in space. Four decades later, her legacy continues to grow.
The post Ride, Sally Ride: Remembering the Legacy of America’s First Woman in Space, OTD in 1983 first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] further 56 U.S. women to achieve Earth orbit between Judy Resnik in August 1984 and Jeanette Epps last March. But STS-7 cemented other records: it was the first time five humans launched together aboard the […]
[…] its fair share of political controversy. Aboard Mission 51G—the fourth of nine shuttle flights in the year prior to Challenger’s untimely loss—were NASA’s Dan Brandenstein, John “J.O.” Creighton, Shannon Lucid, John Fabian and Steve […]
[…] its fair share of political controversy. Aboard Mission 51G—the fourth of nine shuttle flights in the year prior to Challenger’s untimely loss—were NASA’s Dan Brandenstein, John “J.O.” Creighton, Shannon Lucid, John Fabian and Steve […]
OTD in 1985, shuttle Discovery launched with 3 nations and 3 satellites for the "Frog & Prince Flight".
The post Unhealthy Environment: Remembering the Shuttle’s “Frog and Prince” Mission, OTD in 1985 first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] As previously reported by AmericaSpace, Wilmore and Williams—both retired U.S. Navy captains, veteran ISS commanders and seasoned shuttle and Soyuz flyers—launched atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from storied Space Launch Complex (SLC)-41 at Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station during an “instantaneous” window at 10:52:15 a.m. EDT on 5 June. It was the third attempt to get the long-delayed CFT mission airborne, following a scrub on the evening of 6 May due to a faulty oxygen relief valve on the Dual-Engine Centaur (DEC) upper stage and a Ground Support Equipment (GSE) issue that cropped up less than four minutes prior to liftoff on 1 June. […]
As @NASA_Astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Suni Williams pass the halfway point of their mission to @Space_Station, teams are eyeing a return to Earth NET 22 June.
The post CFT Mission Passes Halfway Point, Crew Targets NET 22 June Return first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] As previously reported by AmericaSpace, Wilmore and Williams—both retired U.S. Navy captains, veteran ISS commanders and seasoned shuttle and Soyuz flyers—launched atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from storied Space Launch Complex (SLC)-41 at Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station during an “instantaneous” window at 10:52:15 a.m. EDT on 5 June. It was the third attempt to get the long-delayed CFT mission airborne, following a scrub on the evening of 6 May due to a faulty oxygen relief valve on the Dual-Engine Centaur (DEC) upper stage and a Ground Support Equipment (GSE) issue that cropped up less than four minutes prior to liftoff on 1 June. […]
[…] 300 times. In April 2023, a Falcon Heavy flew for the first time with reused fairing halves and last february A Falcon 9 booster mirrored the fairing half for the record 15th […]
[…] at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Floridaat 10:16 p.m. EDT, when attention now turns to takeoff scheduled for noon on Wednesday of a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V from neighboring SLC-41 and the long-awaited Crew Flight […]
[…] crew egress systems. The concept originated with astronaut Gordon Cooper during the lead-up to Alan Shepard’s historic Mercury flight. As the chair of Project Mercury’s Emergency Egress Committee, Cooper was charged with […]
[…] addition, there was simply less urgency to complete the tests after NASA announced a 10-month delay to the Artemis 2 mission. In January, the historic flight was officially postponed to September of 2025 due to persistent […]
[…] opening launch attempt back on 6 May was scrubbed two hours prior to liftoff, by which time Wilmore and Williams were aboard Starliner […]
[…] at Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, at 10:16 p.m. EDT, as attention now turns to Wednesday’s scheduled midday liftoff of a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V from neighboring SLC-41 and the long-awaited Crew Flight […]
space is going to be loading up with equipment you have blue orgen,space x,boeing all these systems coming into play and they all seem like they are going faster and faster and more companies wanting to put their systems up their too who knows how much nuke systems are headed our way when we piss someone off or some little piss country with money send or rains down on another country with christ knows what i sure do love space and exploring space i just fear that other are after other things its the easiest way for mass destruction just by the touch of a button
[…] has already been an impressive week for SpaceX, which last Saturday evening and late Tuesday flew a pair of Falcon 9 boosters—laden with dozens of Starlink low-orbiting […]
@SpaceX has launched the 4th flight of its integrated Starship/Super Heavy stack out of Boca Chica, targeting new incremental milestones as its test campaign continues.
The post SpaceX Flies IFT-4, Achieves Super Heavy, Starship Controlled Splashdowns first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] Wednesday’s launch proved third time lucky for Wilmore and Williams, who have been in dedicated training for CFT since June 2022. Their first launch attempt on the evening of 6 May was scrubbed less than two hours before T-0, due to a faulty oxygen relief valve on the Atlas V’s second stage. And a second try last Saturday also came disappointingly to nought due to a Ground Support Equipment (GSE) issue that cropped up less than four minutes prior to the scheduled liftoff. […]
[…] As previously detailed by AmericaSpace, CFT is the second step in the process of certifying Starliner as one of two Commercial Crew vehicles (alongside SpaceX) to deliver astronauts to and from the space station. Two Orbital Flight Tests (OFTs) in December 2019 and May 2022 occurred in an uncrewed capacity, but CFT marks the first occasion that a human crew is aboard to complete a full end-to-end demonstration of the spacecraft and its capabilities from launch, through orbital operations, re-entry and landing. […]
[…] opening launch attempt back on 6 May was scrubbed two hours prior to liftoff, by which time Wilmore and Williams were aboard Starliner […]
@NASA_Astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Suni Williams are primed for their third try to launch Starliner's long-awaited Crew Flight Test (CFT) on Wednesday.
The post CFT Starliner Counts Down to Wednesday Launch, Weather 90% Favorable first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] addition, there was simply less urgency to complete the tests after NASA announced a 10-month delay to the Artemis 2 mission. In January, the historic flight was officially postponed to September of 2025 due to persistent […]
The SLS Mobile Launcher is undergoing preflight testing for the crewed Artemis 2 mission. NASA recently tested its dynamic slidewire baskets, which will transport astronauts to safety in the event of an emergency on the launch pad. A video of the test is included.
The post NASA Tests Mobile Launcher’s Slidewire Baskets first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] on the Atlas V’s second stage. That valve was promptly replaced and tested, with early hopes to fly as soon as 17 May, but in the meantime a small helium leak was detected in Starliner’s service […]
OTD in 1965, America launched its longest manned spaceflight so far and completed the nation's first spacewalk.
The post “And These Two Ain’t Normal”: Remembering Gemini IV and America’s First Spacewalk, OTD in 1965 first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] agonizing launch delay comes almost a month since the first attempt to get CFT off the ground back on 6 May, when teams elected to stand down for what was hoped to be about a week to attend to a faulty […]
[…] agonizing launch delay comes almost a month since the first attempt to get CFT off the ground back on 6 May, when teams elected to stand down for what was hoped to be about a week to attend to a faulty […]
[…] pairs of crewed and uncrewed missions to the International Space Station (ISS) and spacecraft to explore Earth’s oceans and atmospheric health and the potential habitability of the […]
[…] Space Launch Complex (SLC)-40 at Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Veteran B1076—one of the earliest boosters to fly in 2024 and the first to reach a fifth launch since the start of the year—took flight at 10:37 p.m. EDT […]
@ULALaunch is targeting 12:25:40 p.m. EDT Saturday to launch @NASA_Astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Suni Williams to @Space_Station.
The post SpaceX Completes 14-Mission May, as CFT Starliner Prepares to Shine first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] United Launch Alliance (ULA) counts down to a revised No Before (NET) target of 4:43 pm EDT on Tuesday, May 21 For the long-awaited Crew Flight Test (CFT) of Boeing's CST-100 Starliner, NASA veterans Barry […]
[…] After being cleaned two hours before launch.—with Wilmore and Williams already aboard the Starliner—on the afternoon of May 6, following observations of a faulty oxygen relief valve in the twin-engine Centaur (DEC) upper stage of the Atlas V, the mission was realigned to fly as early as 6:16 pm EDT on the 17thbefore slipping again until no earlier than (NET) at 4:43 pm EDT on the 21st, due to a helium leak in the Starliner service module that was later traced to a flange on a single reaction control booster. When launch occurs, Wilmore and Williams will become the first humans to ride on a member of the “Mighty Atlas” rocket family since Project Mercury astronaut Gordon Cooper. flew its day-long Faith 7 mission back in May 1963. […]
[…] Station, Fla., spend at least eight “docked” days aboard the International Space Station (ISS) conducting an extensive array of flight test objectives, then return to a parachute-and-airbag-aided landing on solid ground in the Western United […]
[…] With boosters initially certified by SpaceX for only 15 missions, the “active” status of two fleet leaders was suspended for six months in the first half of last year while recertification began to extend their operational life to 20 flights. Veteran B1058 logged a record-breaking sixteenth mission. last julyone seventeenth in Septemberone eighteenth in November and a nineteenth a few days before christmas. […]
[…] that he is targeting up to 144 flights before the New Year’s Eve bell tolls, a substantial uptick over 2023’s record-setting 96-launch year that demands a flight every 2.5 days or […]
[…] With boosters initially certified by SpaceX only for 15 missions, the “active” status of two fleet-leaders was paused for six months in the opening half of last year as recertification got underway to extend their operational lives to 20 flights. Veteran B1058 went on to record a record-smashing sixteenth mission last July, a seventeenth in September, an eighteenth in November and a nineteenth a few days before Christmas. […]
[…] No earlier than 3:09 p.m. EDT on Saturday, 25 May, NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Suni Williams will head for orbit atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s storied Space Launch Complex (SLC)-41 for the long-awaited Crew Flight Test (CFT) of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft. The two retired Navy captains will spend at least eight “docked” days aboard the International Space Station (ISS) conducting a range of flight test objectives before returning to a parachute-and-airbag-aided landing in the southwestern United States. […]
[…] With boosters initially certified by SpaceX only for 15 missions, the “active” status of two fleet-leaders was paused for six months in the opening half of last year as recertification got underway to extend their operational lives to 20 flights. Veteran B1058 went on to record a record-smashing sixteenth mission last July, a seventeenth in September, an eighteenth in November and a nineteenth a few days before Christmas. […]
@SpaceX launched its first 21x-flown Falcon 9 booster on Friday, as NASA, ULA and Boeing teams realign for no earlier than 25 May to launch Starliner's first crewed mission to @Space_Station.
The post Life-Leading Falcon 9 Flies, as CFT Starliner Launch Delay Lengthens first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] After being scrubbed two hours prior to launch—with Wilmore and Williams already aboard the Starliner—on the evening of 6 May, following observations of a faulty oxygen relief valve on the Atlas V’s Dual-Engine Centaur (DEC) upper stage, the mission was realigned to fly as soon as 6:16 p.m. EDT on the 17th, before slipping again to No Earlier Than (NET) 4:43 p.m. EDT on the 21st, due to a helium leak in Starliner’s service module that was subsequently traced to a flange on a single reaction control thruster. When launch does occur, Wilmore and Williams will become the first humans to ride a member of the “Mighty Atlas” rocket family since Project Mercury astronaut Gordon Cooper flew his day-long Faith 7 mission way back in May 1963. […]
[…] After being scrubbed two hours prior to launch—with Wilmore and Williams already aboard the Starliner—on the evening of 6 May, following observations of a faulty oxygen relief valve on the Atlas V’s Dual-Engine Centaur (DEC) upper stage, the mission was realigned to fly as soon as 6:16 p.m. EDT on the 17th, before slipping again to No Earlier Than (NET) 4:43 p.m. EDT on the 21st, due to a helium leak in Starliner’s service module that was subsequently traced to a flange on a single reaction control thruster. When launch does occur, Wilmore and Williams will become the first humans to ride a member of the “Mighty Atlas” rocket family since Project Mercury astronaut Gordon Cooper flew his day-long Faith 7 mission way back in May 1963. […]
As @NASA_Astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Suni Williams prepare to become the first people in 60+ years to fly a Mighty Atlas, we look back at the rocket's first human payload: U.S. hero John Glenn.
The post On Atlas’ Shoulders: Remembering the Monkeys, Men and Malfunctions of Project Mercury’s Orbital Booster (Part 2) first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] United Launch Alliance (ULA) counts down to a revised No Earlier Than (NET) target of 4:43 p.m. EDT Tuesday, 21 May for the long-awaited Crew Flight Test (CFT) of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner, NASA veterans Barry […]
As @NASA_Astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Suni Williams prepare to fly on Friday, we look back at the last time humans flew a Mighty Atlas over six decades ago.
The post On Atlas’ Shoulders: Remembering the Monkeys, Men and Malfunctions of Project Mercury’s Orbital Booster (Part 1) first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] United Launch Alliance (ULA) counts down to a revised No Earlier Than (NET) target of 4:43 p.m. EDT Tuesday, 21 May for the long-awaited Crew Flight Test (CFT) of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner, NASA veterans Barry […]
[…] and Suni Williams will spend at least eight “docked” days aboard the sprawling orbital complex executing a complex program of flight test objectives before returning to a parachute-and-airbag-aided landing in the Western United […]
@SpaceX has achieved its 50th launch inside 2024's fifth month as the organization progresses through a record-breaking banner year.
The post As CFT Starliner Moves to NET 21 May, SpaceX Launches 50th Falcon 9 of Year first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] became the ninth Falcon 9 to reach a 15th launch since December 2022. She previously supported the 300th outing by a Falcon 9 in January, helped cement new empirical records in March for the shortest interval between a pair of launches […]
[…] AmericaSpace – For space explorers @SpaceX has launched its sixth Falcon 9 of May, its 49th mission of 2024 and … …more […]
@SpaceX has launched its sixth Falcon 9 of May, its 49th mission of 2024 and has now lofted over 760 Starlinks to orbit this year, following Sunday evening's mission from the Space Coast.
The post 15x-Flown Falcon 9 Flies, Completes Sixth SpaceX Mission of May first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] became the ninth Falcon 9 to reach a 15th launch since December 2022. She previously supported the 300th outing by a Falcon 9 in January, helped cement new empirical records in March for the shortest interval between a pair of launches […]
[…] when the Artemis 2 crew will be able to put their skills to work in cislunar space. In January, the mission was postponed to September of 2025 to rectify issues with Orion’s life support system and batteries. Last week, NASA’s Office […]
[…] through its paces. Their schedule can include activities which range from ascent simulations to water egress training to launch day rehearsals to lunar geology briefings. One key part of the Artemis 2 training […]
[…] Friday, Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is scheduled to lift off on its inaugural crewed flight following an eleven-day delay instigated by a faulty valve on its Atlas V launch vehicle. Starliner will be piloted by NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who will become the […]
[…] The B1082 core—flying for the fourth time after previous space-bound treks in January, February and just last month—rose from Space Launch Complex (SLC)-4E at the mountain-ringed West Coast site at 9:30 p.m. PDT […]
@SpaceX has successfully launched its 75th Falcon 9 mission out of mountain-ringed Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., as its 2024 cadence continues to build.
The post SpaceX Continues Record-Setting Year, Launches 75th Vandenberg Mission first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] p.m. EDT, spearing uphill for the third time in as many consecutive months. This particular booster entered service early in March when she lofted Dragon Endeavour and Crew-8’s Matt Dominick, Mike Barratt, Jeanette Epps and […]
[…] AmericaSpace – For space explorers @SpaceX will try again Thursday night for the 75th Falcon 9 mission out of Vandenberg … …more […]
[…] p.m. EDT, spearing uphill for the third time in as many consecutive months. This particular booster entered service early in March when she lofted Dragon Endeavour and Crew-8’s Matt Dominick, Mike Barratt, Jeanette Epps and […]
@SpaceX will try again Thursday night for the 75th Falcon 9 mission out of Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., after teams stood down from Wednesday's opening launch attempt.
The post SpaceX Targets Thursday Evening for Week’s Second Falcon 9 Launch first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] United Launch Alliance (ULA) will return the Atlas V booster from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s storied Space Launch Complex (SLC)-41 to the 30-story Vertical Integration Facility (VIF) on Wednesday to replace a faulty oxygen pressure regulation valve on the Centaur upper stage. The decision to rollback the 172-foot-tall (52.4-meter) stack—topped with Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner crew-carrying spacecraft—has triggered a lengthier delay until no sooner than 6:16 p.m. EDT Friday, 17 May, for the launch of Crew Flight Test (CFT) Commander Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Pilot Suni Williams for their long-awaited mission to the International Space Station (ISS). […]
As @ULALaunch prepares for a week-plus stand-down of CFT, @SpaceX is ready for a Wednesday double-header of Falcon 9 missions from the East and West Coasts.
The post As CFT Starliner Stands Down Until NET 17 May, SpaceX Prepares for Wednesday Launch Double-Header first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] United Launch Alliance (ULA) will return the Atlas V booster from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s storied Space Launch Complex (SLC)-41 to the 30-story Vertical Integration Facility (VIF) on Wednesday to replace a faulty oxygen pressure regulation valve on the Centaur upper stage. The decision to rollback the 172-foot-tall (52.4-meter) stack—topped with Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner crew-carrying spacecraft—has triggered a lengthier delay until no sooner than 6:16 p.m. EDT Friday, 17 May, for the launch of Crew Flight Test (CFT) Commander Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Pilot Suni Williams for their long-awaited mission to the International Space Station (ISS). […]
I SAW IT GO UP AND THOUGH I HAD THE WRONG TIME FOR THE CREWED LAUNCH IT LOOKED GREAT AS USUAL LOOKING FORWARD TO THE EVENING OR NIGHT LAUNCH OF THE DRAGON
[…] that he is targeting up to 144 flights before the New Year’s Eve bell tolls, a substantial uptick over 2023’s record-setting 96-launch year that demands a flight every 2.5 days or […]
@SpaceX has successfully flown its third Falcon 9 mission of May, only hours before @NASAAstronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Suni Williams are set to launch to @Space_Station.
The post “Almost Lost” Falcon 9 Launches Successfully, Hours Before CFT Starliner Mission first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] for the first time, orbit, land and rove on the ochre-hued plains of Mars, circle giant Jupiter and investigate its Trojan minor bodies and visit and gather microscopic surface specimens from the carbonaceous asteroid […]
[…] for the first time, orbit, land and rove on the ochre-hued plains of Mars, circle giant Jupiter and investigate its Trojan minor bodies and visit and gather microscopic surface specimens from the carbonaceous asteroid […]
@NASAAstronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Suni Williams are only hours away from their long-awaited Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission to @Space_Station.
The post ULA, NASA, Boeing Target Instantaneous Launch Tomorrow for CFT Starliner Mission first appeared on AmericaSpace.
OTD in 1961, Alan Shepard became America's first man in space. Shadowed by Yuri Gagarin's pioneering orbital flight three weeks earlier, it proved an enormous shot in the arm for the United States.
The post “What a Beautiful View”: Remembering Shepard’s Sprint for Space, OTD in 1961 first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] Station, Fla., spend at least eight “docked” days aboard the International Space Station (ISS) conducting an extensive array of flight test objectives, then return to a parachute-and-airbag-aided landing on solid ground in the Western United […]
As two @NASAAstronauts prepare to ride @ULALaunch Mighty Atlas to @Space_Station on Monday, AmericaSpace looks back at a troubled decade in development.
The post Best Laid Plans: The Troubled Rise of Starliner (Part 2) first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] Station, Fla., spend at least eight “docked” days aboard the International Space Station (ISS) conducting an extensive array of flight test objectives, then return to a parachute-and-airbag-aided landing on solid ground in the Western United […]
[…] After completing two stunning back-to-back months with 12 Falcon 9 missions apiece, SpaceX kicked off May in fine style with Thursday morning’s launch and landing of a fleet-leading booster out of Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif. Veteran B1061 took flight from the mountain-ringed West Coast launch site’s Space Launch Complex (SLC)-4E at 11:36 a.m. PDT carrying the inaugural pair of WorldView Legion geospatial imaging satellites to Sun-synchronous orbit and became the third member of SpaceX’s fleet in less than three weeks to reach a 20th mission. […]
After completing a pair of back-to-back, 12-mission months, @SpaceX has begun an ambitious May launch schedule in fine style.
The post 20x-Flown SpaceX Booster Launches WorldView Legion Twins from West Coast first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] Station, Fla., spend at least eight “docked” days aboard the International Space Station (ISS) conducting an extensive array of flight test objectives, then return to a parachute-and-airbag-aided landing on solid ground in the Western United […]
@NASAAstronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Suni Williams are only days away from their Monday night launch to @Space_Station.
The post Crew Flight Test (CFT) Targets Monday Launch, Ambitious Starliner Mission Ahead first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] Station, Fla., spend at least eight “docked” days aboard the International Space Station (ISS) conducting an extensive array of flight test objectives, then return to a parachute-and-airbag-aided landing on solid ground in the Western United […]
[…] space of “Bob and Doug” and was until last December the most-flown member of SpaceX’s fleet, toppled over on the drone ship’s deck and was partially lost at sea. Notable successes included the synchronized return of Falcon Heavy side-boosters to Landing Zones […]
[…] after a half-century of human imagination—Hubble had weathered financial and technical woes and an appalling national tragedy as it weaved its way from the drawing-board to the launch […]
[…] 5:26 p.m. EDT opening launch attempt and Thursday’s 5:05 p.m. EDT backup opportunity to get a 12-times-flown booster airborne for the 39th Falcon 9 flight of the year and the eighth so far this […]
[…] As outlined in an earlier AmericaSpace story, current plans call for Wilmore and Williams to spend up to ten Flight Days (FDs) aloft, with ISS Flight Director Vincent LaCourt having noted that their Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission objectives are attainable in a minimum of eight “docked” days at the ISS. According to the timeline, the astronauts will dock at the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony node about 25 hours after launch to be welcomed aboard the sprawling orbital complex by incumbent Expedition 71 Commander Oleg Kononenko, fellow Russian cosmonauts Nikolai Chub and Aleksandr Grebenkin and NASA’s Matt Dominick, Mike Barratt, Jeanette Epps and Tracy Dyson. […]
[…] As outlined in an earlier AmericaSpace story, current plans call for Wilmore and Williams to spend up to ten Flight Days (FDs) aloft, with ISS Flight Director Vincent LaCourt having noted that their Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission objectives are attainable in a minimum of eight “docked” days at the ISS. According to the timeline, the astronauts will dock at the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony node about 25 hours after launch to be welcomed aboard the sprawling orbital complex by incumbent Expedition 71 Commander Oleg Kononenko, fellow Russian cosmonauts Nikolai Chub and Aleksandr Grebenkin and NASA’s Matt Dominick, Mike Barratt, Jeanette Epps and Tracy Dyson. […]
@NASAAstronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams arrived in Florida on Thursday for their long-awaited Starliner launch, targeted for NET 6 May.
The post Wilmore, Williams Arrive in Florida, Ahead of Historic Starliner Launch NET 6 May first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] after a half-century of human imagination—Hubble had weathered financial and technical woes and an appalling national tragedy as it weaved its way from the drawing-board to the launch […]
OTD in 1990, @NASAHubble began its mission to explore the cosmos. It is a mission that continues more than 30 years later.
The post “Somebody Get a Camera”: Remembering the Deployment of Hubble, OTD in 1990 first appeared on AmericaSpace.
In reply to James Hillhouse.
Lunar lander in 2026 is very possible, and probable.
Manned lunar lander is a whole other issue.
[…] space of “Bob and Doug” and was until last December the most-flown member of SpaceX’s fleet, toppled over on the drone ship’s deck and was partially lost at sea. Notable successes included the synchronized return of Falcon Heavy side-boosters to Landing Zones […]
@SpaceX has completed its 300th successful landing of a Falcon vehicle with Tuesday's post-sunset flight of B1078.
The post SpaceX Completes Tenth Launch of April, 300th Falcon Landing first appeared on AmericaSpace.
In reply to Rodney.
Rodney,
In reading and watching his congressional testimony January 17th, I didn’t get the impression that Griffin “hated” Starship. Instead, what he disliked are decisions made by those no longer within NASA in an efforts to return to the Moon, HLS contractors who are promising a capability to land astronauts on the Moon knowing full well that the likelihood of meeting that challenge by promised dates is very low to zero, all of which means that there is a real non-zero chance that China could beat us to the Moon.
Let’s begin with one point Griffin challenged in his January testimony; NASA’s choice of a NRHO, which has a period of 6.5 days. As he testified,
“If a lunar crew encounters a problem on the surface that mandates a return to the comparative safety of the Gateway, then depending upon when that problem occurs, a multi-day wait may be required. It is possible in some scenarios to wait in low lunar orbit (LLO), but access to the Gateway is only possible at periodic intervals.”
What Griffin didn’t mention is that such a stay could last far longer in some cases, such as if the landing crew are forced to make a “touch-and-go” landing, as NASA puts it, and need to remain in a quiescent state.
Regarding NASA’s choice of lunar lander requirements (see NASA’s Appendix H: Human Landing System, Attachment F, HUMAN LANDING SYSTEM (HLS) REQUIREMENTS DOCUMENT, HLS-RQMT-001 Document Rev-R (SRD), (Document Number HLS_RQMT-001) Griffin testified,
“Tactically, the selected mission architectures pose significant concerns. SpaceX’s approach requires an impractically large number of orbital refueling operations for even a single lunar mission, while Blue Origin’s mission design depends on the development of one of the most difficult enabling technologies for long-duration space flight, zero-boiloff cryogenic fuel storage.
These architectures feature concepts – cryogenic propellant storage, likely in large depots with low, controllable boiloff – that are critical to long-term, sustainable human space exploration. But while important, their development is unlikely to be completed easily or quickly, and over the last half-century we have used up the time that could have been devoted to the evolution of Apollo-era systems to a more sustainable architecture. Like it or not, we are engaged in a
competition with others who do not wish us well; timeliness maters.”
What Griffin is pointing out are issues with the Artemis architecture. He points out that none of the HLS landers can go to the Moon without some exotic capability not available today nor likely soon, and that pursuing those capabilities isn’t as important as reaching the Moon before our adversaries do. That isn’t “hating” Starship so much as pointing out obvious downsides to the HLS portion of the Artemis architecture and faced by both SpaceX and Blue Origin.
Regarding Starship in his testimony, Griffin offers a frequentist approach in analyzing the probability of a Starship lunar landing for a given range of required refueling missions and probability of those being successful. As you might recall from probability, each refueling mission is ideally an independent event. The total probability is the product of the individual probabilities. So, if 10 refueling launches are needed and if each has a (unrealistically high) reliability of 99%, then the total probability of success of those 10 missions is 90%. But, if the reliability of each refueling mission drops even a smidge, to say 97%, the total probability of 10 refueling missions drops to 74%; a drop to 95% means a total of just under 60%. I don’t think even the most diehard SpaceX fan can look at those numbers and feel comfortable at the overall mission risk.
Perhaps I’ve evolved too thick a skin having written on space matters over the last 16 years, but Griffin’s testimony regarding Starship doesn’t sound like “hate”, as you write, but well argued, darn hard to refute concerns.
To your point that some in NASA and Blue will be happy when, not if, it becomes unavoidable that Starship will not be ready for Artemis III? With all due respect Rodney, I don’t think most outside of NASA and its contractors realize that there is a zero chance SpaceX will be ready for Artemis III. Or IV. Even Elon admitted last January that SpaceX wouldn’t be ready to land astronauts on the Moon until 2028, and given his record, that likely means sometime in the 2030’s.
The important point is that there is a non-zero chance that we’re going to have a crewed lunar capable lander by 2028 (Elon’s words, not mine) or later. The most important point isn’t whose lander, whether SpaceX or Blue Origin, gets us to the Moon. The most important point, as laid-out by those paying for the Artemis program – that would be Congress – is that we get back to the Moon before our adversaries do.
And to be clear, Griffin made the case in his testimony that between NASA’s lunar architecture, its HLS office’s HLS requirements, the lander contractors, the lunar spacesuit contractors, things are looking bad.
Nobody wants the day of reckoning when it becomes unavoidable for Congress not to notice that NASA’s NRHO choice, the HLS program office’s decision to forbid any use of SLS to launch lunar landers, and the contractors may very well prevent the US from reaching the Moon first. But that day is coming, and likely the pieces will start falling after Artemis II lifts off.
Lastly, as concerns your point about, “…knee jerk reaction can be modified for reusable launch vehicles. eg. if a vehicle fails on its 20th launch, do new or fairly new vehicles need to be stood down ? Or, if a new vehicle fails on its first launch, do proven vehicles need to be stood down ?” Having been a pilot, I know that even long legacy systems can surprise. So, no, that “knee-jerk reaction” won’t, hopefully, ever go away. As Hans Mark, a former NASA Deputy Administrator and professor of mine, once said, “Americans don’t like it when you kill their astronauts.”
In reply to jeff Lee.
Thank you, Jeff! I am glad that you found it to be informative.
In reply to Alex Longo.
Hi Alex, Thanks for responding.
Mike Griffin said to a Congressional committee, IIRC that USA should not use Starship for Artemis and should use government owned vehicles instead. All his other comments I interpret in that light.
During the January press conference on the delays to Artemis 2 and 3, it came across as NASA needed to delay Artemis 2 because of the issues with Orion, so they mentioned Starship and the Axiom space suits for Artemis 3 as a distraction from Orion. “Safety” was their top priority, so they can use more-testing-needed for future delays. They gave the impression that delays were business-as-usual.
I get the impression that Blue Origin, and some in NASA, would be happy to say Starship won’t be safe or on time for Artemis 3 so lets drop it and wait for the Blue Origin lander being developed for Artemis 5.
Yes, after a launch failure there is almost always a long delay for investigation. I hope that knee jerk reaction can be modified for reusable launch vehicles. eg. if a vehicle fails on its 20th launch, do new or fairly new vehicles need to be stood down ? Or, if a new vehicle fails on its first launch, do proven vehicles need to be stood down ? And, as we have seen with Falcon 9, reusable vehicles can be extremely reliable once in high cadence operation. And the reuse allows plenty of practice of transferring propellant to a depot. So all the hand wringing by Mike Griffins about the risk of multiple launches seems overdone.
Sad BTW that the commenting facility on this website (unlike most others) does not seem to allow minor corrections to recent comments.
Thanks for a very concise and well written article. It’s nice so see that you’ve done your research and actually shared articles to back your research. Very refreshing to read a good article without all the political agenda! It was a very good read.
[…] community is when American astronauts will return to the Moon. NASA originally aimed to land the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024, but that date was pushed back repeatedly to September of 2026 at the earliest. The largest […]
The empty weight of SLS is 188,000 pounds
Starship empty weight is 220,000 pounds.
Suppose we had SLS and air-start RS-25s
What payload does that give you now?
[…] originally aimed to land the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024, but that date was pushed back repeatedly to September of 2026 at the earliest. The largest source of uncertainty in the schedule is SpaceX’s […]
[…] two failed test flights in April and November of 2023, Starship successfully reached orbital velocity on March 14th. It became the most powerful rocket to ever reach this […]
[…] is when American astronauts will return to the Moon. NASA originally aimed to land the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024, but that date was pushed back repeatedly to September of 2026 at the […]
Elon Musk recently disclosed that SpaceX's next-generation Starship rocket is dealing with a 50% performance shortfall. If it is not rectified, this issue could prevent Starship from landing NASA astronauts on the Moon during Artemis 3. SpaceX seeks to offset the underperformance with upgraded variants of Starship and its Raptor engine.
The post Starship Faces Performance Shortfall for Lunar Missions first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] 5:26 p.m. EDT opening launch attempt and Thursday’s 5:05 p.m. EDT backup opportunity to get a 12-times-flown booster airborne for the 39th Falcon 9 flight of the year and the eighth so far this […]
[…] 5:26 p.m. EDT opening launch attempt and Thursday’s 5:05 p.m. EDT backup opportunity to get a 12-times-flown booster airborne for the 39th Falcon 9 flight of the year and the eighth so far this […]
@SpaceX is targeting Wednesday night for its eighth Falcon 9 launch of April and its 39th of the year so far.
The post SpaceX Targets Tonight for Eighth Falcon 9 Launch of April first appeared on AmericaSpace.
OTD in 1972, Apollo 16 headed to the Moon...and almost didn't land.
The post “A Couple Weeks Later”: Remembering Apollo 16’s (Almost-Not) Moon Landing, OTD in 1972 first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] September’s Artemis 2 mission. Orion undoubtedly looks like a fully-functional spacecraft. The crew and service modules were mated last November, and the former is now shrouded in its reflective thermal protection system tiles. Inside the […]
[…] 2 mission. Orion undoubtedly looks like a fully-functional spacecraft. The crew and service modules were mated last November, and the former is now shrouded in its reflective thermal protection system […]
The Artemis 2 Orion spacecraft is undergoing vacuum testing at the Kennedy Space Center. We break down the timeline for the test, the anomalies which the team is resolving, and a surprising connection to the Apollo era.
The post Orion Spacecraft Enters Rarefied Air with Vacuum Test first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] less than a month since her most recent (19th) mission—and the 25th SpaceX flight of the year—was B1062, which entered service back in November 2020 […]
On the anniversary both of Yuri Gagarin's pioneering flight and the first Space Shuttle launch, @SpaceX on Friday successfully flew its first 20x-used Falcon 9 rocket.
The post On Cosmonautics Day, SpaceX Launches Record-Setting 20x-Flown Falcon 9 first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] has successfully flown its second dedicated U.S. Space Force payload of 2024, following Thursday’s spectacular launch of the inaugural Weather System Follow-on Microwave […]
[…] of B1083 brings to six the total number of launches from the East and West Coasts so far in April, including Tuesday’s 12:43 p.m. EDT liftoff of the final Delta IV Heavy mission, carrying the highly classified NROL-70 payload for the National Reconnaissance Office and closing […]
[…] In the 13th mission of the year out of Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., the B1082 booster—one of the newest “West Coast Falcons”, having entered service only in January—sprang on time from Space Launch Complex (SLC)-4E at 7:25 a.m. PDT and returned eight minutes […]
[…] has successfully flown its second dedicated U.S. Space Force payload of 2024, following Thursday’s spectacular launch of the inaugural Weather System Follow-on Microwave […]
[…] a Falcon 9 out of Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Fla., early Wednesday as the B1083 booster—previously used last month to deliver Dragon Endeavour and her Crew-8 quartet of NASA astronauts Matt Dominick, Mike Barratt […]
[…] a Falcon 9 out of Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Fla., early Wednesday as the B1083 booster—previously used last month to deliver Dragon Endeavour and her Crew-8 quartet of NASA astronauts Matt Dominick, Mike Barratt […]
Only hours after @ULALaunch triumphantly flew its final "Most Metal" Delta IV Heavy rocket, @SpaceX has flown its fifth Falcon 9 of April.
The post After Delta IV Heavy’s Swansong, Cape Roars to Accelerated Falcon 9 Launch Cadence first appeared on AmericaSpace.
@ULALaunch & @NatReconOfc have launched a highly secretive national security payload aboard the last-ever Delta IV Heavy, as the 63-year-old Delta Program comes to a bittersweet end.
The post For Final Time, ULA Launches “Most Metal” Delta IV Heavy Into History first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] inside the month’s opening week, as the Hawthorne, Calif.-headquartered organization wrapped up a dramatic triple-header weekend of launches. Inside April’s first seven days, four boosters that now boast almost 50 flights between them […]
[…] inside the month’s opening week, as the Hawthorne, Calif.-headquartered organization wrapped up a dramatic triple-header weekend of launches. Inside April’s first seven days, four boosters that now boast almost 50 flights between them […]
@SpaceX has successfully launched an 11-payload rideshare customer mission from the Space Coast, closing out a dramatic weekend triple-header of Falcon 9 missions.
The post SpaceX Completes Weekend Triple-Header, Launches 11-Payload Bandwagon-1 Stack first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] As previously detailed by AmericaSpace, the pre-weekend action began at 5:12 a.m. EDT Friday when the 14-times-used B1069 booster took flight from storied Space Launch Complex (SLC)-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The dazzling pre-dawn light and fire show occurred right on the opening of a 58-minute “window”, thanks in no small part to near-perfect Space Coast weather, which had earlier pledged 90-percent favorability with only the smallest risk of violating thick cloud and liftoff winds rules. […]
Following Saturday evening's @Starlink launch out of Vandenberg, attention now turns to the Space Coast for the completion of @SpaceX weekend triple-header later today.
The post SpaceX Aims to Complete Weekend Triple-Header With Tonight’s Bandwagon-1 Launch first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] Furukawa of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Russian cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov for their 6.5-month Expedition 69/70 increment at the International Space Station (ISS). Two additional launches of B1081 last November and December delivered SpaceX’s CRS-29 Cargo […]
With one launch successfully achieved early Friday, @SpaceX is targeting late tonight for the second half of its pre-weekend Falcon 9 double-header.
The post SpaceX Primed to Complete Friday Double-Header of Falcon 9 Missions first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] and Vasilevskaya will wrap up almost 14 days in orbit, having launched from Site 31/6 at Kazakhstan’s Baikonur Cosmodrome on 23 March aboard Soyuz MS-25 with NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson. It is expected that Dyson will fold into the […]
[…] and October and a pair of O3b mPOWER communications satellites in November. Her 2024 campaign began with January’s launch of the Swedish Ovzon-3 geostationary broadband satellite and SpaceX’s first-ever “Leap Day” mission on 29 […]
[…] than a decade of active service, no less than 17 Falcon 9 vehicles—including a brand-new booster that came online earlier this year and a “coast-swapping” bird which launched four times from the East Coast before moving to […]
[…] than a decade of active service, no less than 17 Falcon 9 vehicles—including a brand-new booster that came online earlier this year and a “coast-swapping” bird which launched four times from the East Coast before moving to […]
It was no "April Fool" for @SpaceX on Monday night, as a many-times-delayed Vandenberg mission finally took flight and kicked off a busy month ahead.
The post Delayed Vandenberg Falcon 9 Mission Launches, Kicks Off Busy April for SpaceX first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] to feature an 11th and 12th Falcon 9 mission. Following Saturday’s on-time 5:52 p.m. EDT liftoff of the 12-times-used B1076 and the successful deployment of the 11,000-pound (5,000-kilogram) Eutels… for the Paris, France-based Eutelsat Consortium, another pair of boosters were set to fly from […]
[…] and October and a pair of O3b mPOWER communications satellites in November. Her 2024 campaign began with January’s launch of the Swedish Ovzon-3 geostationary broadband satellite and SpaceX’s first-ever “Leap Day” mission on 29 […]
@SpaceX is targeting 3 back-to-back Falcon 9 launches from Florida and California tonight.
The post SpaceX Targets Three Back-to-Back Falcon 9 Launches Tonight first appeared on AmericaSpace.
@ULALaunch & @NatReconOfc will wait at least 24hrs to launch the highly classified NROL-70 mission, following a last-minute scrub in Thursday's countdown.
The post Final Delta IV Launch Scrubbed, Next Attempt NET Friday first appeared on AmericaSpace.
@ULALaunch & @NatReconOfc are targeting 1:40 p.m. EDT Thursday for the final launch of the Delta fleet.
The post ULA Targets Thursday for Final Delta Launch, Watches Weather first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] 2022. The uncrewed Artemis 1 mission was the program’s first major test. During its debut, SLS performed nearly flawlessly. It propelled a fully-functional Orion capsule on a 25-day mission to a Distant Retrograde Orbit […]
[…] The NROL-70 mission marks the 16th launch of Delta IV Heavy and the 389th for the Delta family, according to AmericaSpace. Established by the U.S. government in 1960, the Delta program was set up to […]
[…] communications satellites for injection into low-Earth orbit. Veteran B1060—the fourth booster to reach a life-leading 19th launch and the third to do so this year—ascended atop a pillar of golden fire from historic Pad 39A at […]
[…] communications satellites for injection into low-Earth orbit. Veteran B1060—the fourth booster to reach a life-leading 19th launch and the third to do so this year—ascended atop a pillar of golden fire from historic Pad 39A at […]
Following Saturday morning's arrival of @SpaceX Cargo Dragon, a new crew is chasing down the @Space_Station tonight, heading for a Monday docking.
The post Space Station Welcomes Cargo, Awaits Crew Arrival first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] International Space Station (ISS) welcomed cargo and prepared for a new crew arrival Saturday, as SpaceX’s CRS-30 Cargo Dragon docked at the sprawling orbital outpost at 7:19 a.m. EDT and Soyuz MS-25—crewed by Russian […]
NASA, Boeing & ULA are targeting early May for the launch of @Astro_Butch & @Astro_Suni for the long-awaited Crew Flight Test of Starliner to @Space_Station.
The post NASA Outlines Plans for Crew Flight Test (CFT), Targets Early May Launch first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] with 23 Starlink internet communications satellites, fleet workhorse B1060—the fourth booster to reach a life-leading 19th launch and the third to do so this year—is set to lift off from historic Pad 39A at Florida’s Kennedy […]
@SpaceX plans to launch a life-leading Falcon 9 booster on its 19th flight late Friday. But the key watchword remains the weather.
The post SpaceX Targets Falcon 9 Launch Tonight, Weather Looks Dicey first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] 9 booster. Laden with more than 6,000 pounds (2,700 kilograms) of payloads, equipment and supplies for the incumbent Expedition 70 crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS), the launch comes only hours after Russia’s Soyuz MS-25 mission was scrubbed less than 20 seconds […]
After Thursday's dramatic launch abort at Baikonur, @SpaceX has successfully launched its 30th Dragon cargo mission to @Space_Station.
The post CRS-30 Launches to Space Station, Following Soyuz MS-25 Pad Abort first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] the program. Tragically, the Gemini 9 prime crew, Elliot See and Charlie Bassett, lost their lives while trying to land their T-38 training jet on an overcast day. Flying in space was a risky profession, and NASA knew that a preflight accident was […]
Tom Stafford, one of the heroes of the Apollo era, passed away on Monday. While Stafford's loss is saddening, he leaves behind a remarkable legacy of exploration and diplomacy in space.
The post Remembering Tom Stafford, the Space Race’s Peacemaker (1930-2024) first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] hatches into the station will be opened at some time around 2:50 p.m. EDT and the new crewmembers will be welcomed aboard by Expedition 70 Commander Oleg Kononenko—currently the world’s most flight-experienced space traveler, with 922 days spanning a […]
@SpaceX has launched its 10th time of the year out of Vandenberg and its 7th Falcon 9 of March, as it gears up for its next cargo run to @Space_Station on Thursday.
The post SpaceX Launches Tenth Vandenberg Flight of Year, Looks to CRS-30 Space Station Resupply Mission on Thursday first appeared on AmericaSpace.
Two missions, crewed and uncrewed, are targeting launches to @Space_Station only 7.5 hours apart on Thursday.
The post Soyuz Crew, Cargo Dragon Await Space Station Launches 7.5 Hours Apart on Thursday first appeared on AmericaSpace.
[…] hatches into the station will be opened at some time around 2:50 p.m. EDT and the new crewmembers will be welcomed aboard by Expedition 70 Commander Oleg Kononenko—currently the world’s most flight-experienced space traveler, with 922 days spanning a […]
[…] Force Station in Florida, have so far lofted over 330 Starlink internet communications satellites, crewed and uncrewed missions to the International Space Station (ISS), geostationary communications […]
[…] Having previously flown five Falcon 9s in March, as well as Wednesday’s third Integrated Flight Test (IFT-3) of the Starship/Super Heavy stack out of Boca Chica, Texas, last night’s mission marked the first occasion that SpaceX has conducted as many as seven launches inside the opening half of a calendar month. Three Starlink missions, the 53-payload Transporter-10 “rideshare” and a new crew for the International Space Station (ISS) preceded B1062 into orbit over the last two weeks. […]
@SpaceX has wrapped up its 7th orbital mission in the first half of March and its 25th Falcon 9 flight of 2024.
The post SpaceX Launches, Lands Falcon 9, Wraps Up 25th Mission of Year first appeared on AmericaSpace.
Article says the IFT-2 stack was terminated.
Actually, after IFT-2 host staging the booster exploded as it tried to relight engines for boostback burn,
while ship continued to climb for a few minutes and almost reached orbit before an engine bay fire caused the AFTS to terminate it.
Good article, except the SI (metric) measure of thrust is newtons, not kilograms. A newton is the force needed to accelerate one kilogram of mass one meter per second per second. To convert LBf to newton divide the pounds by 2.2 then multiply the result by 9.81 (Earth gravity acceleration in meters per second per second) to get the correct answer.
[…] mission by a Starship/Super Heavy stack, following two earlier launches last 20 April and 18 November. Powering aloft under 16.7 million pounds (7.5 million kilograms) of thrust from its 33 Raptor […]
@SpaceX has successfully flown its 3rd Integrated Flight Test of the Starship/Super Heavy stack out of Boca Chica, achieving good Raptor engine burns, a satisfactory hot-staging and boost-back maneuver and several other assigned objectives.
The post IFT-3 Starship Flies, Achieves Significant Performance Milestones first appeared on AmericaSpace.
