Tag: SLS rocket
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Artemis II, NASA’s boldest mission in generations, launches crew to the Moon
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla.—Three Americans and one Canadian launched into orbit from Florida’s Space Coast on Wednesday, flying the most powerful rocket ridden by humans on the first leg of a nine-day voyage around the Moon. Perched atop the 322-foot-tall (98-meter) Space Launch System rocket, the four astronauts lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center…
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‘Let’s go!’ NASA launches humanity’s first moon voyage in nearly 54 years
NASA’s Space Launch System rises from its Florida launch pad, sending the Artemis 2 crew into orbit. (NASA via YouTube) After years of postponements and close to $100 billion in spending, NASA has launched the first mission to send astronauts around the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972. The 10-day Artemis 2 mission began today…
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Helium problem forces NASA to delay Artemis 2 launch to the moon and roll back the rocket
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, far left, walks around Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida with a team of troubleshooters working on a helium flow issue with the Space Launch System rocket in the background. (NASA Photo) NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman says the giant rocket set to send four astronauts around the…
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NASA completes a smooth rehearsal for historic Artemis 2 moon launch
NASA’s Space Launch System rocket stands on its Florida launch pad. (NASA Photo / Aubrey Gemignani) NASA counted down to T-minus 29 seconds during a smooth rehearsal for a historic launch that could send astronauts around the moon for the first time in more than half a century. The run-through at Launch Complex 39B, at…
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If Congress actually cancels the SLS rocket, what happens next?
The White House Office of Management and Budget dropped its “skinny” budget proposal for the federal government earlier this month, and the headline news for the US space program was the cancellation of three major programs: the Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft, and Lunar Gateway. Opinions across the space community vary widely about the…
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The politically incorrect guide to saving NASA’s floundering Artemis Program
Regardless of the outcome of this year’s election, the United States will have a new president in a few months. Although there are myriad issues of greater importance than spaceflight to most Americans, a new leader of the country will inevitably take a fresh look at the nation’s space policy. Among the highest priorities for…
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Congress apparently feels a need for “reaffirmation” of SLS rocket
There is a curious section in the new congressional reauthorization bill for NASA that concerns the agency’s large Space Launch System rocket. The section is titled “Reaffirmation of the Space Launch System,” and in it Congress asserts its commitment to a flight rate of twice per year for the rocket. The reauthorization legislation, which cleared…
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NASA should consider commercial alternatives to SLS, inspector general says
In recent years NASA has acknowledged that its large Space Launch System rocket is unaffordable and has sought to bring its costs down to a more reasonable level. The most recent estimate is that it costs $2.2 billion to build a single SLS rocket, and this does not include add-ons such as ground systems, integration,…
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Rocket Report: Astra layoffs; next SLS core stage needs repairs
Welcome to Edition 6.06 of the Rocket Report! This week’s news in space lift includes ups and downs for small launch companies, yet another record for SpaceX’s blistering launch cadence, and some non-news on Europe’s Ariane 6 rocket that still bears mentioning. We also provide updates on the world’s two super-heavy lift rockets—NASA’s Space Launch…
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Boeing hit with a lawsuit over alleged “theft” of SLS rocket tools
A Colorado-based company, Wilson Aerospace, is suing Boeing for what it claims to be “theft” of its intellectual property. At issue is a specific tool, known as a Fluid Fitting Torque Device-3, that Wilson developed and Boeing said it needed to attach four main engines to the Space Launch System rocket. The lawsuit was filed…