From Marstinis to Meteor Meatballs: Taste of Space is Florida’s Most Unique Foodie Festival

September 6, 2024Posted inKSC, NASA
KSC Visitors Center Announces Taste of Space 2024. Credit KSCVC Video
KSC Visitors Center Announces Taste of Space 2024. Credit KSCVC Video

Calling all foodies!

For Florida residents and visitors who enjoy sampling fine and unusual cuisine at Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival, there’s another similar theme park venue that beats many of the Disney offerings, and at a lower admission price.   It’s the annual Taste of Space coming up at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex!  This year there are five distinct culinary opportunities available, all located amidst exclusive and intriguing space-related exhibits, attractions, and yes, real live astronauts (not animatronics).

NASA Reveals Details on Upcoming Starliner Return from ISS

NASA Reveals Details on Upcoming Starliner Return from ISS

September 4, 2024Posted inBoeing, NASA, Space News, Starliner
Boeing Starliner
Artists Rendition of Boeing Starliner Crew Capsule Graphic: Boeing Space

In anticipation of what will now be the uncrewed return of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft from the International Space Station (ISS), NASA held a pre-departure briefing on Wednesday, September 4, from its Johnson Space Center in Houston. The briefing featured Steve Stich, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program manager, Dana Weigel, manager of the ISS at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, and ISS Flight Director Anthony Vareha. The officials shared critical updates and a refined timeline for Starliner’s return mission to Earth, which is scheduled to take place on Friday, September 6.

Take A Walk On The Wild Side!

August 2, 2024Posted inEntertainment / Recreation, Florida Wildlife
Drive through Safari Photo: Wild Florida
Drive through Safari Photo: Wild Florida

We at FMN are always looking for something unique and fun to do, and this place fits the bill. Do you want to experience the excitement of a safari but don’t want to travel to Africa? Wild Florida may be the answer you’ve been looking for. Located in east central Florida’s Osceola County near Orlando, the Wild Florida park offers Drive Thru Safaris, Airboat Adventures, walking tours, a gator park, and much more.

NG-21 Resupply Mission Honors Challenger Commander Dick Scobee

July 29, 2024Posted inISS, NASA, Space News
NG-21 Cygnus resupply module will be named in honor of Challenger Commander Dick Scobee Photo: NASA
NG-21 Cygnus resupply module will be named in honor of Challenger Commander Dick Scobee Photo: NASA

It is Northrop Grumman’s tradition to name each Cygnus spacecraft in honor of individuals who have made substantial contributions to human spaceflight. NG-21, the upcoming Cygnus resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS), is now officially named the S.S. Francis R. “Dick” Scobee. Scobee is a former NASA astronaut whose contributions to aeronautics and space exploration have left a lasting legacy. The mission will launch no earlier than Saturday, August 3rd from Cape Canaveral.

Nikon Mirrorless Camera Selected to Go to the Moon

Nikon Mirrorless Camera Selected to Go to the Moon

May 19, 2024Posted inSpace News
The next generation cameras used on the moon will be a far cry from the chest-mounted Hassleblad camera used by the Apollo 11 crew. Photo: NASA
The next-generation cameras used on the moon will be a far cry from the chest-mounted Hasselblad camera used by the Apollo 11 crew. Photo: NASA

Chalk one up for Nikon.

My photographer colleagues at the Kennedy Space Center have an ongoing friendly camera rivalry.  Mostly it’s Canon versus Nikon, as we compare the latest camera gear and features while covering rocket launches, inspections of the latest satellites, and press conferences with NASA and other space company leaders.  So the Nikon users got a pleasant surprise

NASA Rent-a-Car May Greet Lunar Astronauts

NASA Rent-a-Car May Greet Lunar Astronauts

April 4, 2024Posted inNASA, Space News
An initial rendering from the team led by Intuitive Machines. Photo Credit: Intuitive Machines.
An initial rendering from the team led by Intuitive Machines.  Photo Credit: Intuitive Machines.

At an April 3, 2024, news conference, NASA announced its approach for the development, construction, and fielding of one (or potentially more) lunar terrain vehicle (LTV) as one more element of the Artemis Program.  As opposed to selecting one company to produce an LTV, three “awardees” were selected to compete in a rather complicated process for the final project award. 

Hut-Two-Three-Four:  SpaceX Joins the Armed Forces

March 26, 2024Posted inSpace News, SpaceX, Starlink
USAF setting up a Starlink dish
Master Sgt. Caleb Frisbie from the 242nd Combat Communications Squadron, setting up the communication equipment for the Agile Battle Labs Communications Demonstration. The antenna he installed is a SpaceX Starlink dish, pictured above. Photo: US Air Force/ Todd Cromar

By now, almost everyone has heard of SpaceX’s Starlink. However, it is lesser known that SpaceX and their subsidiary, Starlink, now have two major government- and military-related contracts. Pilot testing began in 2020 and took a few years to complete. That product — Starshield — is now ready for deployment.

Coffee and Bees: CRS-30 Cargo to ISS

March 20, 2024Posted inISS, Space News
NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough poses aboard the International Space Station with all three Astrobee robotic free-flyers. Photo Credit: NASA/Shane Kimbrough
NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough poses aboard the International Space Station with three Astrobee robotic free-flyers.
Photo Credit: NASA/Shane Kimbrough

Like many of us, the astronauts aboard the International Space Station  (ISS) crave their morning coffee.  Consequently, that’s one of the food treats, along with fresh citrus, apples, and cherry tomatoes that are aboard the SpaceX CRS-30 mission to the ISS scheduled for launch March 21 at 4:55 pm from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.