Tag: ISS
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NASA will pay SpaceX nearly $1 billion to deorbit the International Space Station
NASA has awarded an $843 million contract to SpaceX to develop a “US Deorbit Vehicle.” This spacecraft will dock to the International Space Station in 2029 and then ensure the large facility makes a controlled reentry through Earth’s atmosphere before splashing into the ocean in 2030. “Selecting a US Deorbit Vehicle for the International Space…
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As leaks on the space station worsen, there’s no clear plan to deal with them
NASA and the Russian space agency, Roscosmos, still have not solved a long-running and worsening problem with leaks on the International Space Station. The microscopic structural cracks are located inside the small PrK module on the Russian segment of the space station, which lies between a Progress spacecraft airlock and the Zvezda module. After the…
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Boeing’s Starliner CFT launches on third attempt
After years of anticipation, Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner capsule has flown its first crew into space on the 100th flight of an Atlas V launch vehicle. Capping off Starliner’s test campaign, the Crew Flight Test (CFT) has sent Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams on a trajectory to rendezvous with the International Space Station (ISS) where they…
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Launch Roundup: North Korean launch failure, Starliner CFT, EarthCARE
As May transitions into June, a European Space Agency (ESA) mission to study the Earth’s clouds and aerosols as well as a Russian cargo ship to resupply the International Space Station (ISS) were both on this week’s docket of launches. Two Starlink and three Chinese satellite launch missions were also scheduled, as well as the…
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Launch Roundup: 100th launch of the year, Starliner delays, NASA’s PREFIRE-1 mission
There are two launches from China to start this week, the first of which will be the 95th launch attempt of the year worldwide. If all goes to plan, this week should see the 100th launch of 2024, although the schedule is rather fluid at present. SpaceX has already passed 50 launches this year and…
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ISS Roundup: an eclipse, an EVA, and more than just science returns to Earth
Every month aboard the International Space Station (ISS) is packed with activity, science, and research and April was no exception. Astronauts and cargo ships departed, a spacewalk was conducted and the total eclipse was observed from this incredible vantage point. The month began with 10 astronauts aboard the orbiting outpost, although three were due to…
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Roscosmos scrubs Soyuz crew launch 20 seconds before liftoff
The Soyuz 2.1a rocket at the pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The mission scrubbed on Thursday, March 21, 20 seconds prior to liftoff. Image: Roscosmos via NASA Update 8:21 a.m. ET: Roscosmos aborted the MS-25 launch attempt. A new launch date has not been set, but could be as soon as Saturday, March 23. A…
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Soyuz MS-25 launches to ISS with crew from Russia, Belarus, and NASA
The fourth human spaceflight — and third orbital human flight — of the year has successfully launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome to the International Space Station (ISS). Soyuz MS-25 was scheduled to fly on Thursday, March 21, at 13:21 UTC from Site 31/6 at the spaceport. Mission commander Oleg Novitsky, representing Roscosmos, NASA’s Tracy Caldwell…
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Launch Roundup: two missions to the ISS, including first Dragon 2 from SLC-40
SpaceX is preparing to launch three Falcon 9s, including two Starlink missions. Additionally, launching this week are two Chinese rockets, an Electron, and a crewed Soyuz. SpaceX will continue to strive for a record-breaking year by launching from all three of its Falcon 9 launch pads this week, which will take its launch total to…
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Sierra Space tests upcoming in-space habitat as other commercial space stations continue development
On Jan. 21, Sierra Space performed an “ultimate burst pressure test” on a full-scale model of its Large Integrated Flexible Environment (LIFE) habitat — an inflatable space station module. The launcher-agnostic habitat is designed to be launched encapsulated within any four-meter fairing, docked to a space station in orbit, and then inflated to a 9-meter…