Starliner, Cygnus and Crew 9 Oh My! ISS is Full.  

Starliner, Cygnus and Crew 9 Oh My! ISS is Full.  

July 31, 2024Posted inCrewed, Falcon 9, ISS, NASA, Space News, Starliner
Cygnus spacecraft for NG-21 resupply mission. Credit: NASA
Cygnus spacecraft for NG-21 resupply mission. Credit: NASA

The International Space Station (ISS) is an island of international cooperation and scientific research. As of July 2024, the ISS has been hosting a variety of spacecraft, including the Boeing Starliner, SpaceX Dragon Endeavour, Soyuz MS-25, and the Russian Progress 87 and 88 resupply ships. The current mix of 5 vehicles and 12 astronauts ensures that the ISS is a bustling beehive of activity, supporting a diverse range of scientific experiments and international visitors. But soon, in the days and weeks to come two more spacecraft and four more astronauts will join the activities. 

100th Mission: Last Space Force Launch on Atlas V 

100th Mission: Last Space Force Launch on Atlas V 

July 29, 2024Posted inAtlas V, Space News, United Launch Alliance
Payload fairing on the second stage of a ULA Atlas V rocket carrying a classified satellite for the Space Force. Image by Richard P Gallagher
Payload fairing on the second stage of a ULA Atlas V rocket carrying a classified satellite for the Space Force. Image by Richard P Gallagher

Cape Canaveral, FL — On July 30, 2024, United Launch Alliance (ULA) will reach a milestone of sorts with the launch of the USSF-51 mission aboard an Atlas V rocket. The launch will be from Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station , and is scheduled for 6:45AM. This mission is not only important for the United States Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC) but also the last national security mission that the ULA will execute using the workhorse Atlas V rocket. Future national security launches will be utilize the new ULA Vulcan booster. 

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.

SpaceX Returns to Launch Status with Successful Mission 

SpaceX Returns to Launch Status with Successful Mission 

July 27, 2024Posted inFalcon 9, KSC, Space News, SpaceX
A long exposure streak image from last night successful SpaceX Falcon 9 return to flight rocket launch. Image by Richard P Gallagher
A long exposure streak image from last night successful SpaceX Falcon 9 return to flight rocket launch. Image by Richard P Gallagher

Cape Canaveral, FL – After a brief grounding by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), SpaceX successfully launched its Falcon 9 rocket and deployed its Starlink Group 10-9 satellites early in the morning on July 28, 2024. This launch marked the company’s return to flight status following an anomaly during a mission earlier in the month. 

Big Changes Coming To Crew Dragon Splashdowns

Big Changes Coming To Crew Dragon Splashdowns

July 26, 2024Posted inCrewed, Space News, SpaceX
Workers secure Space X Crew Dragon capsule after Crew 7 astronauts splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico last March. Image: NASA
Workers secure Space X Crew Dragon capsule after Crew 7 astronauts splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico last March. Image: NASA

NASA’s Crew Dragon spacecraft will be making its final splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean next year . The upcoming Crew-9 mission, set to launch no earlier than August 18, 2024, could be the last to conclude with a landing off the U.S. East Coast.

SpaceX Starlink 10-9 Set For Early Saturday Liftoff

SpaceX Starlink 10-9 Set For Early Saturday Liftoff

July 26, 2024Posted inAviation and Space News, Falcon 9, Space News, SpaceX, Starlink
A Falcon 9 launching from LC-39A Photo: Charles Boyer/FMN
A Falcon 9 launching from LC-39A Photo: Charles Boyer/FMN

SpaceX plans to launch a Falcon 9 carrying twenty-three Starlink satellites from Kennedy Space Center’s Pad LC-39A early Saturday morning. The launch window for the Falcon 9’s “return to flight” opens at 12:21 AM EDT on July 27 and extends until 04:21 AM the same day. If needed, the company has a backup launch window at the same time, twenty-four hours later, on July 28.

Falcon 9 Cleared To Return To Flight

Falcon 9 Cleared To Return To Flight

July 25, 2024Posted inFalcon 9, Space News, SpaceX, Starlink
Falcon 9 launching from Pad LC-39A Photo: Charles Boyer / FMN
Falcon 9 launching from Pad LC-39A
Photo: Charles Boyer / FMN

SpaceX has been cleared to resume launching Falcon 9 by the FAA. Almost immediately afterward, the company announced a launch of the venerable rocket from Pad LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center early Sunday morning.The company stated that the Starlink 9-3 mishap in a statement on their website “The cause of the leak was identified as a crack in a sense line for a pressure sensor attached to the vehicle’s oxygen system. This line cracked due to fatigue caused by high loading from engine vibration and looseness in the clamp that normally constrains the line,” SpaceX said.

Boeing And NASA Provide Starliner Update

Boeing And NASA Provide Starliner Update

July 25, 2024Posted inAviation and Space News, Boeing, Crewed, ISS, NASA, Space News, SpaceX, Starliner
Starliner docked to the International Space Station photo: NASA
Starliner docked to the International Space Station
photo: NASA
No Return Date Set, Readiness Review May Come Late Next Week

NASA’s Steve Stich and Boeing’s Mark Nappi provided an update on the Boeing Starliner CFT flight today in a teleconference. They stated that while no return date has been set for astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to return aboard the spacecraft, the agency and Boeing are relatively close to a Readiness Review that must be conducted prior to Starliner undocking from ISS and returning to Earth. According to NASA, that review may come as soon as the end of next week — or August 2, 2024.

“I think we’re starting to close in on those final pieces of the flight rationale to make sure that we can come home safely,” said Steve Stich.

NASA’s Lunar Comeback: Everything You Need to Know 

July 25, 2024Posted inArtemis, NASA, Space News
The SLS core stage for Artemis II enters the VAB. Image by Richard P Gallagher
The SLS core stage for Artemis II enters the VAB. Image by Richard P Gallagher

NASA’s Artemis II mission is progressing steadily with the recent arrival of the Space Launch System (SLS) core stage to the Kennedy Space Center. This event marks the beginning of months of assembly and testing of SLS before its roll out to LC-39B sometime next year.   

The flame plume of a Falcon 9 Photo: Charles Boyer / FMN

SpaceX Performs Falcon 9 Static Fire Last Night

July 25, 2024Posted inAviation and Space News, Falcon 9, Space News, SpaceX, Uncategorized
Closeup of Falcon 9’s Merlin engines as the rocket lifts off. The static fire conducted last night was testing this part of the spacecraft.
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

SpaceX conducted a static-firing of the nine Merlin engines of a Falcon 9 booster first stage at SLC-40 last night as the company prepares to return to flight after a very rare in-flight failure on July 11.