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Universal Orlando Resort is on the verge of unveiling its biggest project yet: Epic Universe. This brand-new theme park, slated to open in 2025, promises to redefine the vacation experience with an array of immersive zones, innovative attractions, and state-of-the-art entertainment.
By any objective standard, it’s been an insane week in space….or at least far from “routine”. From a faux “ISS Emergency” to scuttled spacewalks to hints of yet more Starliner problems, the week’s news has been anything but boring.
Maj. General (Ret.) William Anders, a celebrated NASA astronaut and a pivotal figure in the historic Apollo 8 mission, tragically lost his life on June 7th at the age of 90 in a plane crash off the coast of Jones Island, Washington. The incident, witnessed by several bystanders, brought a somber end to the life of a man who had spent much of it reaching for the skies.
If you were watching SpaceX’s live launch coverage of the Starship launch this morning on any one of a several dozen Youtube Channels, you may have gotten a big surprise. The channels, which appeared high in Youtube’s rankings, carried SpaceX’s legitimate broadcast down to just a few minutes before launch when they smoothly transitioned to a video of Elon Musk, presumably at Starbase.
SpaceX’s Starship rocket embarked on a successful test flight from Texas on Thursday, launching at about 8:50 a.m. EDT from SpaceX’s Starbase facility near Boca Chica, Texas. This fourth test flight saw the world’s largest and most powerful rocket—standing nearly 400 feet tall—take off without any crew onboard, aiming for a journey across the Gulf of Mexico and eastward to the Indian Ocean for a planned hour-long flight.
For the first time since 1968, astronauts have been launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, marking the first-ever manned mission from a Space Force installation. On June 5, at precisely 10:52 a.m. EDT, NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams lifted off from Space Launch Complex-41 aboard the Atlas V rocket, commencing the eagerly anticipated Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission.
As Boeing, NASA, and United Launch Alliance (ULA) prepare for a third launch attempt of the Boeing Starliner set for June 5th, a lesser-known yet interesting fact has emerged. While the Starliner will be going to the ISS, it won’t be ULA’s Atlas/Centaur booster that takes it all the way there or even to low-earth orbit (LEO).
NASA Prepares for Third Attempt to Launch Boeing Crewed Flight Test
NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test mission teams are gearing up for another Starliner launch attempt, currently scheduled for 10:52 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, June 5. With a faulty ground equipment power supply repaired, the launch will take place from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This mission, lasting approximately one week, will see NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Suni Williams aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft heading to the International Space Station (ISS).
The Boeing Starliner just can’t seem to get off of the pad. The much-publicized second launch attempt of CFT-100 was scrubbed on June 1st when a computer detected an anomaly with less than four minutes left in the countdown. The mission represents Starliner’s first crewed flight test.
Less than a month ago, Starliner seemed like it was ready to go. With a launch date for the first crewed flight test set for May 6th, NASA officials expressed confidence that Starliner was “go for launch”. Following a Flight Readiness Review held just days before the May 6th launch date, NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free said he was satisfied that the Readiness Review was thorough, and that Starliner, Atlas V and ISS were prepared properly for the test flight.
NASA, Boeing, and United Launch Alliance (ULA) have announced yet another delay in the launch of the Boeing Crew Flight Test to allow additional time for comprehensive spacecraft closeout processes and “flight rationale assessments.” The launch, which aims to send NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station (ISS), is now targeted for no earlier than 3:09 p.m. EDT on Saturday, May 25.
This Story Was Updated at 4:38 PM On 5/9/24 to include a response from NASA.
“As a valued NASA partner and as valve experts, we strongly urge them not to attempt a second launch due to the risk of a disaster occurring on the launchpad”.
Valvetech President Erin Faville – Wednesday March 8th.
