NASA Unveils the X-59 Supersonic Test Aircraft

January 12, 2024Posted inAviation, Aviation and Space News, NASA
Lockheed Martin X-59
Photography By Garry Tice 1011 Lockheed Way, Palmdale, Ca. 93599 Date: 12/12/2023

NASA unveiled America’s new X-59 aircraft today at LMs Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California. The experimental aircraft is designed as an experimental test-bed for “quiet supersonic” air travel and it is hoped that it will serve as a serious starting point for commercial aircraft that can travel faster than the speed of sound, this time in a quieter, more efficient manner than previous airplanes like the Concorde.

No Artemis II Launch Scheduled for 2024: NASA Announces Delays

January 9, 2024Posted inArtemis, KSC, NASA, Space News
Artemis 1 on the pad
SLS Artemis I on launch Complex 39A at KSC in Florida. Image by Richard P. Gallagher

NASA’s ambitious Artemis program, a cornerstone of the agency’s lunar exploration and Mars preparation efforts, has been delayed again. In a 2020 Artemis mission profile, NASA was aiming to again land humans on the moon in 2024. Developement delays have forced NASA to revise the timeline for the upcoming Artemis II and III launch dates.

Cygnus To Depart ISS Friday

December 21, 2023Posted inNASA, Space News
Cygnus Spacecraft to Depart ISS Friday
Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus cargo craft is pictured moments away from being captured by the Canadarm2 robotic arm controlled by NASA astronaut and Expedition 69 Flight Engineer Woody Hoburg from inside the International Space Station.

Not to be confused with the Crew Dragon scheduled to depart the ISS on Thursday night, NASA has issued a news release on the departure of Cygnus Friday morning.

NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope Pauses Science Due to Gyro Issue

November 29, 2023Posted inAviation and Space News, NASA, National News, Space News, SpaceX
Hubble Space Telescope in 2009. Photo: NASA

NASA is working to resume science operations of the agency’s Hubble Space Telescope after it entered safe mode November 23rd due to an ongoing gyroscope issue. The agency is also saying that the venerable spacecraft is stable and that otherwise the instrument is “in good health.”

NASA’s New ISS APP is Now Out!

November 13, 2023Posted inISS, NASA
Spot the Station App

NASA’s new Spot the Station App. Image by: TJ Waller

The International Space Station (ISS), humanity’s celestial abode, is now even more accessible to the public thanks to NASA’s latest innovation – the Spot the Station mobile app. This easy to use app, now available for download on both iOS and Android platforms, is set to revolutionize the way we engage with the ISS, offering a unique and enhanced experience for ISS enthusiasts and photographers worldwide.

SpaceX Delivers the Goods:

SpaceX Delivers the Goods:

November 10, 2023Posted inAviation and Space News, Falcon 9, ISS, KSC, NASA, Space News, SpaceX

An Image review of the CRS29 Mission

Yesterday evening at 8:28pm SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon9 rocket carrying a Cargo Dragon capsule to the ISS. It was loaded with about 6500 pounds of food and water and research experiments to be carried out over the next six months. Lift off occurred from LC39A at KSC in Florida.

SpaceX Will Deliver Supplies to ISS

November 6, 2023Posted inFalcon 9, Florida News, International, ISS, KSC, NASA, National News, Space News, SpaceX
A Dragon Capsule atop a SpaceX Falcon9 rocket on LC39A at KSC in Florida will deliver supplies to ISS. Image by Richard P Gallagher

Launch Alert with Sonic BOOM!

Something new! SpaceX will launch a Falcon9 rocket carrying a Dragon cargo capsule. The mission, labeled CRS-2 SpX-29 (Commercial Resupply Service), is filled with supplies going to the International Space Station (ISS). It is scheduled for lift-off on November 9, 2023. The launch window is from 8:28pm to 1:28am Friday morning. It will launch from LC39A at KSC in Florida. The first stage booster will perform a boost back maneuver and return to land zone 1 at CCAFS in Florida. A sonic boom will be heard about 8 minutes after launch, depending on how far the viewing location is from LZ1.