NASA Releases 2025 Commercial Crew Plan

NASA Releases 2025 Commercial Crew Plan

Commercial crew astronauts, from left, European Space Agency astronaut Matthias Maurer, and NASA astronauts Tom Marshburn, Raja Chari, and Kayla Barron, pose for a photo in their Dragon spacesuits during a fit check aboard the International Space Station’s Harmony module on April 21, 2022.
Photo: NASA

NASA’s Commercial Crew office released its high-level plan for 2025 today. It has few surprises, with two SpaceX Commercial Crew missions, and offers the slightest of updates for Boeing’s Starliner program and holds out the possibility of a Starliner flight next year.

SpaceX Launches ESA Hera Towards Asteroid System Didymos

SpaceX Launches ESA Hera Towards Asteroid System Didymos

SpaceX Falcon 9 lifts off carrying the Hera probe on October 7, 2024 from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Photo: Charles Boyer / FMN

Ever the masters of threading the weather needle, SpaceX sent a Falcon 9 on its way to orbit and the Hera probe on its way to the Didymos binary asteroid system that was impacted by NASA’s DART probe on September 26, 2022.

Launch Preview: SpaceX, ESA Planning To Launch Hera Mission Aboard Falcon 9 Monday Morning

Launch Preview: SpaceX, ESA Planning To Launch Hera Mission Aboard Falcon 9 Monday Morning

Falcon 9 on the launch mount at Space Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral in August 2024.
Photo: Charle Boyer / Florida Media Now
FAA clears one-off license for Falcon 9 for this launch only

SpaceX and the European Space Agency are planning to launch ESA’s Hera probe from Space Launch Complex 40 on Monday, October 7th. The launch window extends from 10:52 AM – 11:27 AM EDT.

FAA To Require Investigation Into Crew 9 Second Stage Anomaly

FAA To Require Investigation Into Crew 9 Second Stage Anomaly

Falcon 9 second stage after shutting down on September 28, 2024
Photo: NASA – SpaceX livestream

The FAA released a brief statement recognizing that the second stage of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 used for the Crew 9 launch landed outside of its designated landing zone, and that they are requiring an investigation.

Launch Report: SpaceX Launches Galileo L13 From The Cape

Launch Report: SpaceX Launches Galileo L13 From The Cape

Falcon 9 rising off of the launch mount at Space Launch Complex 40 on September 17, 2024
Photo: Charles Boyer / FMN
Falcon 9 rising off of the launch mount at Space Launch Complex 40 on September 17, 2024
Photo: Charles Boyer / FMN

Space-X launched Falcon 9 early last evening from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station carrying new European navigation satellites to orbit. The launch came at 06:51 PM EDT, just as the sun was starting to set in the west, creating a beautiful golden hue on the pad.

SpaceX Launches BlueBird, Overcomes Weather for Pre-Dawn Liftoff

SpaceX Launches BlueBird, Overcomes Weather for Pre-Dawn Liftoff

Ignition! A SpaceX Falcon9 rocket powered by 9 Merlin rocket engines blasts off from LC-40 at CCSFS. Image by Richard P Gallagher

This morning, SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying the first five BlueBird Block 1 communications satellites for AST SpaceMobile. These satellites will improve cell service in remote areas of the United States. The launch occurred at 4:52 AM EDT from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Boeing Starliner

Starliner: A Risky Return

Starliner pictured docked to the ISS, will undock later tonight and prepare to land at the White Sands Missile Range. Credit: NASA.
Starliner pictured docked to the ISS, will undock later tonight and prepare to land at the White Sands Missile Range. Credit: NASA.

Tonight, Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft is set to return to Earth. Whether or not it will be a safe return depends on who you ask. In one corner, we have Boeing, who publicly at least, stands 100% behind their crew capsule. In the other corner, NASA’, who is confident in Starliner, but not confident enough to risk the lives their astronauts.

SpaceX Set To Launch Starlink 8-11 Thursday (Updated)

SpaceX Set To Launch Starlink 8-11 Thursday (Updated)

Falcon 9 launching from Space Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral
Falcon 9 launching from Space Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

Update: Wednesday’s Starlink launch attempt was called off with slightly more than two minutes left in the countdown due to weather in the booster landing zone. Florida is experiencing a rather stormy week, leading to a high degree of uncertainty in the week’s launch schedule.

SpaceX plans to launch a Falcon 9 Thursday morning from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral, carrying another group of Starlink satellites. According to SpaceX, “Liftoff is targeted for 8:35 a.m. ET, with additional opportunities available until 12:31 p.m. ET.”