Tag: NASA
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SLS continuing engine upgrades, tech development to support launcher evolution
The Liquid Engines Office for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) Program is planning a busy schedule of test campaigns next year in parallel with efforts to complete preparations for the vehicle’s first launch. Existing Aerojet Rocketdyne hydrogen-oxygen engine designs and hardware will be used for the SLS core and upper stages, but both the space…
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NASA reschedules final SLS Core Stage Green Run tests for December
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) Program rescheduled the final two tests that will culminate the Core Stage Green Run campaign for December after successfully repairing one of the liquid hydrogen (LH2) prevalves inside the engine section of the stage. The Wet Dress Rehearsal is now targeted for the week of December 7, and if that…
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WiBotic joins Astrobotic’s team to build wireless charging system for moon rovers
Astrobotic’s CubeRover prototype wheels over a simulated lunar surface. (Astrobotic via YouTube) Seattle-based WiBotic says it’s working on a wireless charging system and energy management software for moon rovers, in partnership with Astrobotic, Bosch and the University of Washington. The hardware and software for robotic lunar missions will build on the work that the UW…
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James Webb on track for October 2021 launch; final testing underway
In a virtual update, NASA and Northrop Grumman confirmed the James Webb Space Telescope remains on track for launch on 31 October 2021 atop an Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou, French Guiana. Final pre-launch processing milestones with the telescope, meanwhile, continue at Northrop Grumman’s Redondo Beach, California, facility, with teams currently working toward shipment of…
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Crew Dragon Resilience successfully docks, expands ISS crew to seven
After a 27.5 hour commute, Resilience and its crew successfully docked to the International Space Station at 23:01 EST Monday (04:01 UTC on Tuesday), increasing the Station’s crew from three to seven. The expanded crew on the orbiting laboratory will mean more time for Station maintenance and scientific research. After a picture perfect ride uphill,…
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With Resilience, NASA & SpaceX begin operational Commercial Crew flights
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, at 19:27 EST on 15 November (00:27 UTC on 16 November) lofting four space travelers into orbit ahead of a planned six month stay aboard the International Space Station. The launch of SpaceX’s Crew-1 mission marks the first operational Commercial Crew Program mission…
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Examining Crew-1 launch weather criteria and abort modes
With each new crew launch from the U.S. comes the inevitable questions: Why all the weather rules? What are the vehicle’s abort modes and how will it perform a launch abort and aim itself to a predetermined location in the Atlantic Ocean stretching from the Kennedy Space Center across to the western Irish coast? The…
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SpaceX, NASA, JAXA clear Crew-1 for launch; static fire delayed to Wednesday
For the first time since 1982, NASA has certified a spaceship to operationally carry humans into low Earth orbit. At the Kennedy Space Center today, NASA and SpaceX — with JAXA’s participation — formally certified the Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to transport people to and from the Space Station and cleared the…
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Blue Origin and Aerojet get in on NASA partnerships for new space technologies
A researcher at Aerojet Rocketdyne examines a container of a low-toxicity propellant during preparation for flight testing. Aerojet’s Redmond facility will be involved in a follow-up project to develop a new kind of hybrid “green” propellant. (Aerojet Rocketdyne Photo) Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture and Aerojet Rocketdyne’s operation in Redmond, Wash., are…
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Crew-1 astronauts arrive for launch as Tropical Storm Eta looms
Astronauts Victor Glover, Michael Hopkins, Shannon Walker, and Soichi Noguchi have arrived at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida for their upcoming launch to the International Space Station (ISS). SpaceX’s Crew-1 will be the first operational, long-duration mission to the ISS onboard a Crew Dragon spacecraft and NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Liftoff from Launch Complex…