TAMPA, Fla. — The Museum of Science & Industry’s Digital Dome Theatre is now open, officials announced Tuesday, featuring shows and live tours of the night sky.
MOSI admission includes one show inside the theatre with any additional shows at $5 each. Led by of MOSI’s astronomers, the shows begin with a tour on a 10,000-square-foot screen, followed by 30-minute, 360-degree movie that surrounds guests with science, outer space, the ancient past, and more.
The eight-story theatre is also the new home of MOSI’s Saunders Planetarium. Officials said that previously, only 46 people could fit in MOSI’s old planetarium. The new version feaures over 330 seats to help increase the number of MOSI guests and field trip students.
MOSI’s Digital Dome Theatre hosted its first field trip for students from Hillsborough County Public Schools on Monday, following a grand opening ceremony. (Photo: MOSI)
“This project solidifies the fact that MOSI is here as an anchor in Tampa’s uptown region. We’re proud to be the first of many transformational projects happening here in this neighborhood,” said MOSI CEO John Graydon Smith in a statement.
Students are seated inside MOSI’s Digital Dome Theatre as they watch a presentation on the big screen. (Photo: MOSI)
Tickets to the theatre are available now on MOSI’s website.
FLORIDA — After conducting various experiments and working onboard the International Space Station for seven months, NASA and SpaceX’s Crew-8 returned home in a splashdown off the coast of Florida early Friday morning.
It took Crew-8 more than 30 hours before splashing down off of Florida’s coast
It will be a long and wild ride home, with intense speeds and temperatures
It will take Crew-8 more than 30 hours for a splashdown off Florida’s coast
Estimated Splashdown Countdown
Crew-8 members NASA astronauts Cmdr. Matthew Dominick, pilot Michael Barratt, and mission specialists Jeanette Epps and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin returned home in SpaceX’s Dragon space capsule Endeavour near Pensacola at around 3:29 a.m. ET to the cheers of NASA and SpaceX teams heard during a live feed.
For the crew, it was an estimated 34-hour commute home after undocking from the International Space Station at 5:05 p.m. ET, Wednesday.
Before this new undocking date was announced, (more on that down below), NASA stated that depending on the time of the undocking and other factors like weather conditions, it could have taken between six to 39 hours for the Crew-8 to return to Earth.
For a long time, NASA did not reveal which of the various splash zones Crew-8 would be landing in because they had to monitor the weather forecast, but in the end, the Endeavour returned to Earth near Pensacola.
As Endeavour was floating in the Gulf Coast, crews raced in fast boats to inspect the spacecraft before towing it to SpaceX’s recovery vessel Megan before it scooped up the capsule. Once on board, all four space travelers got out of the capsule to waves before being inspected by medical personnel.
Then they will take a helicopter ride to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
The ride back home
SpaceX Dragon specs:
Height: 26.7 feet tall
Diameter: 13 feet fall
Number of engines: 8
Passengers: It can carry up to 7 people
Parachutes: 2 drogue + 4 main = 6 parachutes
The Dragon was fully autonomous from the moment it undocked from Harmony to the splashdown, yet the crew could take control if needed.
“After performing a series of departure burns to move away from the space station, Dragon will conduct multiple orbit-lowering maneuvers, jettison the trunk, and re-enter Earth’s atmosphere for splashdown off the coast of Florida approximately 34 hours later on Friday, October 25,” explained SpaceX and NASA.
And it was one heck of a ride. Using a series of parachute deployments, the Dragon slowed down from an orbital speed of about 17,500 mph (2,816 kph) to 350 mph (482 kph) to about 16 mph (25 kph) when it softly landed off the coast of Florida.
And things were a bit toasty for the Dragon has it experienced temperatures of 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit (1,927 degrees Celsius) once it entered Earth’s atmosphere, but special shielding and the air conditioning system kept the crew safe and cool.
As the Dragon was screaming over, some lucky people may have heard a sonic boom.
They spent their time conducting a series of experiments, but they were originally supposed to return home in August, but the mission was extended several times, especially as NASA investigated Boeing’s troubled Starliner capsule.
What was supposed to be an eightish-day mission for Starliner’s Cmdr. Barry “Butch” Wilmore and pilot Sunita “Suni” Williams in June turned into a months-long odyssey as their craft suffered from thruster issues and helium leaks.
NASA kept pushing their stay on the ISS as engineers launched an investigation, which resulted in the Crew-8 staying onboard longer in case an emergency occurred, where Wilmore and Williams would have needed SpaceX’s Dragon to return home.
Williams was made commander of Expedition 72. An expedition means the current crew in the International Space Station.
And the International Space Station has gotten crowded these last few months. Usually it holds about seven people, plus any guests who plan on being there for a short time. But between the Starliner crew, Crew-8, Crew-9 and Soyuz MS-25, there are a total of 11 people.
NASA and SpaceX were set to see Crew-8 undock on Sunday, Oct. 13, and splashing down on Monday, Oct. 14, but Hurricane Milton changed their plans.
Other undocking dates were issued — Oct. 18, Oct. 20 and Oct. 21 — but weather conditions were unfavorable for the different splashdown zones.
Late on Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 22, NASA stated that the new undocking date was Wednesday, Oct. 23.
However, poor weather was still a concern for undocking, with the U.S. space agency recently considering Tuesday night for the undocking. But as of Tuesday afternoon, the new date was given Wednesday but it all depended on the weather conditions.
“Forecasters have seen improvement in expected weather at some of the landing sites off the coast of Florida and continue to monitor conditions while considering splashdown sites and exact timing. The next weather briefing is scheduled for 9 a.m., Wednesday,” NASA stated.
On a clear day in early fall, around sunrise, you might notice hot air balloons flying across the sky, but why do they navigate the skies so early in the day and how does weather play a role in their flight path?
What You Need To Know
Hot air balloons fly early in the day or late in the day
The fire observed from a balloon is propane igniting to keep the air inside the balloon envelope warmer than the air surounding it
A hot air balloon pilot uses wind to steer and navigate their balloon
Ideal weather for flight
Mike Wadley, a second-generation Hot Air Balloon Pilot out of St. Charles County, Mo, explains the weather’s role in this high-flying activity.
The weather conditions matter, and it’s not solely for capturing the best pictures from the treetops. There are many days the team will leave the balloon in the trailer and cancel the day’s flight.
“If there’s any chance for rain, we don’t fly.”
He says winds must be light as well and that includes winds higher in the sky. “We love to have weather about 5 mph of wind on the surface and 10 to 12 mph all the way up to about 2500 feet.” And that’s because they use the wind to steer the balloon.
Winds are light early in the morning, around sunrise, and then again around sunset. Wind is created by the uneven heating of the Earth’s surface by the sun. Without sunlight, the air is less mixed and there is less wind.
“Since we can’t steer the balloon, we find wind directions and different speeds at different altitudes. And then we have to fly very level and be precise and that will carry us off to where we want to go.” But faster winds don’t mean better flying conditions.
Science experiment
“Hot air balloons and the way they operate is a big science experiment.” It follows the laws of physics. For the balloon to fly, the air inside the balloon must be warmer than the surrounding air.
Hot air balloon pilots and workers test the propane on their balloon. Spectrum News/Stacy Lynn
To achieve this, there’s a burner system connected to the basket and the balloon. Fueled by propane gas, the pilot uses a blast valve to adjust the rate of flow, keeping the balloon warmer than the air surrounding it.
They may also give intermittent blasts during the flight to ensure the air inside the balloon remains at this temperature.
Weather while flying
“So we are constantly paying attention to the weather, and we are paying attention not only before as we are doing our flight planning but also while we are actually flying.”
They have instruments on board that tell them the direction and altitude they are flying. And it’s these parameters that assist them in landing. “We use the different wind speeds and directions at different altitudes to help us find the right target to land.”
He will fly any day of the year that weather allows, but says May through September are the most popular and reminds us it’s colder higher in the atmosphere. “We’ll fly any time of the year, doesn’t matter how cold it is out. I’ve flown when it was zero degrees out. It’s uncomfortable.”
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
This month’s full moon will peak on Oct. 17 and is the third of four supermoons this year.
What You Need To Know
October’s full moon is called the Hunter’s Moon because it occurs after the Harvest Moon
This is the third of four supermoons that will occur this year
The supermoon will appear the largest and brightest of all the other supermoons due to its location lower in the sky
Why it’s called the Hunter’s Moon
It’s called the Hunter’s Moon because it follows the Harvest Moon. The full Harvest Moon can occur in either September or October. It’s the moon closest to the autumnal equinox.
This year that happened in September, so the full moon that follows is called the full Hunter’s Moon. Its name originated from its function as a signal for hunters to begin preparing for winter.
This month’s supermoon orbits closer to Earth than any of the other full moons this year, making it appear even larger than September and August’s supermoon. The final supermoon of the year will occur in November and while it will still appear larger than normal, it won’t look as big as October’s.
Alternative names
According to the farmer’s almanac, names of moons corresponded with entire lunar months and were derived from Native American, Colonial American and European sources.
Other names for the Hunter’s Moon reflect the signals or activities of the season.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — NASA’s Europa Clipper mission on Monday launched a satellite to investigate Europa, Jupiter’s “mysterious moon” — a world covered in ice that scientists say could have an ocean under it.
What You Need To Know
A SpaceX rocket carried a NASA satellite into space for the Europa Clipper mission Monday
Scientists say Europa may have an ocean teeming with life underneath its icy surface
The deputy section manager and a University of Florida professor shared details about the mission and the moon with Spectrum News
🔻Scroll down to use interactive graphics to learn more about the moon and clipper🔻
SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket took off as scheduled from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at 12:06 p.m. ET.
The launch was supposed to take place on Thursday, Oct. 10, but Hurricane Milton forced NASA to postpone it.
Europa: A little moon with a chance of life
At last count, Jupiter has 95 moons, but the four main ones — Ganymede, Callisto, Io and Europa — were discovered in 1610 by famed Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei. But their names came from German astronomer Simon Marius in 1614 but they are also known as the Galilean moons.
The moon is a world unlike Earth’s celestial sibling: With a very thin oxygen atmosphere, it has an icy surface with a possible ocean underneath it. And in 2019, water vapor was detected for the first time above its surface with the use of a spectrograph at the Keck Observatory in Hawaii.
With a possible ocean and likely water vapor, Europa has whetted the appetite of many astronomers and researchers as to what this moon may hold besides ice.
“Europa’s ocean may be the most energetic place to find life elsewhere in our solar system. Its global ocean may be billions of years old and might have seen extensive volcanic activity over that history, generating the ingredients needed for life,” Dr. Steve Vance, Deputy Section manager of the Europa Clipper mission, explained to Spectrum News. “We want to know if volcanic rifts are creating hot springs like those we see in Earth’s seafloor, which are often teeming with exotic life.”
Vance explained in an email that researchers want to know if radiation at Europa’s surface creates oxygen-rich materials for life in the ocean world.
University of Florida’s Dr. Amy Williams agrees that water plays a big part in the possibility of life under Europa’s icy surface.
“Water and in particular, oceans, have been an enticing target in the search for life beyond Earth, in part because life-as-we-know-it requires water as the universal solvent. An ocean of water has the potential to provide a substantial habitable environment for that life,” Williams, an astronomer and an astrobiologist, stated in an email to Spectrum News.
If Europa does have an ocean under its surface and if there is life in there, it opens up all sorts of questions, Vance said, such as, does Europan life have DNA similar to what is seen on Earth?
Would this life have cells with membranes like the life we know on Earth? Vance explained that there such a finding welcomes a lot of answers and questions.
“Finding life in our solar system would provide clues to the basic workings of life, not just whether we’re alone, but whether the evolution of life takes similar paths as it did on Earth. In my more optimistic moments I imagine ecosystems supporting fish and other multicellular life. Oxygen generated at Europa’s surface might have provided the kind of chemical energy needed to support such life,” stated Vance, who is also an astrobiologist.
Williams speculated that if Europa has an ocean, it is important to establish if it is habitable to life as we know it or even life as we don’t know it.
“Certainly, the question of whether we’re alone in the universe is one of the most compelling and profound questions we can ask as a species. … Although we will not physically access the Europan ocean, if there is life, I would expect it to consist of single-celled micro-organisms, close to the rocky crust at the bottom of the ocean. Perhaps those microbial communities exist close to hydrothermal vents where they mine energy from the rocks and hot water, similar to the chemosynthetic organisms that live on hydrothermal vents all over the terrestrial ocean floor,” she described.
Getting to know the Europa Clipper
The Europa Clipper mission got the green light from NASA in 2015, revealed Vance, as engineers and scientists worked together to design and build a spacecraft to reach one of Jupiter’s famed Galilean moons.
But the dream of going to Europa started much earlier.
“The name Europa Clipper goes back to as early as 1999. We’ve been dreaming of a mission like this since the Galileo mission arrived in the 1990s and provided the strongest evidence we have for an ocean under Europa’s ice. The idea was to explore the first discovered ocean world using a custom ship designed to zip by its surface. That idea evokes the age of large sailing ships, including the fast clipper ships that were designed starting in the 1700s,” Vance showed.
The Europa Clipper’s journey begins once it leaves Earth to do a flyby around Mars and return to Earth for another flyby to use the two planets’ gravity to propel itself to Jupiter’s moon.
This orbiter spacecraft should reach its destination in April 2030.
This spacecraft is about 16 feet (5 meters) in height. And how long is it? When it expands its solar arrays, it will be more than 100 feet (30.5 meters) long, about the same length as a basketball court.
The Europa Clipper will be doing 49 flybys of the moon, which can be dangerous. On each go around of Europa, the little clipper needs to spend less than a day in the dangerous radiation zone near the moon before going away.
Two to three weeks later, the spacecraft will repeat the flyby again, according to NASA.
And it is packed with a payload of instruments so these flybys are not wasted, from imagers and cameras to a thermal imaging emission system. It even has a magnetometer to confirm if Europa has an ocean and it can even measure the moon’s icy shell.
“The instrument payload is unique to Clipper and will reveal incredible detail about the surface of this mysterious moon and even insight into likely saltwater ocean contained below its icy shell,” Williams said.
Vance went into detail, stating that each flyby of the moon will allow the spacecraft’s instruments to gather enough data to help researchers understand the little ice world.
“These flybys will use cameras that see from the ultraviolet to the thermal infrared, and mass spectrometers to taste materials ejected from Europa’s surface. This information will reveal how the compositions of materials on Europa’s surface reveal what’s in its ocean and how it got there. We’ll use geophysical measurements to peer through the ice with radar, radio signals, and magnetic sensing. This will allow us to understand whether there are fluids within the ice that might provide energy for life, how thick the ice is, how deep the ocean, and how what salts are dissolved there,” he said.
He said one of the radars can penetrate the ice, which will help researchers know the average thickness of it and where the thinnest parts are. A possible follow-up mission may see a rover drilling into the ice.
“Scientists and engineers are keen to land on Europa or even drill through its ice into the ocean. Detailed studies of drill technologies have been undertaken for more than 20 years. More recently, NASA undertook a detailed study of a Europa lander concept that could search for biosignatures on Europa’s surface,” said Vance.
Williams shared a very inspiring view of the spacecraft’s mission and its potential greatness that could shape humankind.
“Europa Clipper will collect data that gives us unprecedented insight into the habitability of this ocean world. But definitive evidence for life under the ice is not something that is expected from this mission. Just as all science is conducted by standing on the shoulders of giants, Clipper is poised to be a Colossus that enables the future discovery of life beyond Earth,” she said.
CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — Space lovers had to wait as United Launch Alliance (ULA) dealt with a glitch and delays, but the Colorado-based company launched its Vulcan Centaur rocket early Friday morning.
What You Need To Know
The Cert-2 mission took off from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
This is not the first time the Vulcan Centaur will be gracing the Sunshine State’s skies
The 202-foot-tall (61.6 meters) rocket took off from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 7:25 a.m. ET, confirmed ULA.
The three-hour launch window opened at 6 a.m. ET, however, minutes before launching, ULA stated Launch Conductor Dillon Rice informed Launch Director Eric Richards that the launch team needed some extra minutes to complete preparations.
During ULA’s livefeed (see below), it stated there was a data dropout that somehow stopped the ground systems that halted the fuel flow to the rocket. The launch team configured the systems to continue the flow.
The new launch time was at 6:30 a.m. ET, but minutes before, ULA put another hold but did not say why.
“Hold. The countdown sequence has stopped because a condition was found that needs to be examined before we can continue,” ULA stated on X, formally known as Twitter.
After going through the systems, the new launch time at 7:25 a.m. ET was issued.
The 45th Weather Squadron gave a good forecast for the mission, saying there was an 80% chance of favorable conditions.
The only concern was the cumulus clouds rule.
Re-introducing the Vulcan
This is not the first time the Vulcan Centaur will be gracing the Sunshine State’s skies, but it is still not as recognizable as other rockets.
Unlike the more familiar SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, the Vulcan Centaur is not reusable and will not be landing at a landing pad or on a droneship.
The Vulcan is the booster and the Centaur is the second stage.
For this mission, the Vulcan Centaur VC2S rocket is only carrying one payload, which means its height for this mission is 202 feet tall (61.6 meters), but if it had two payloads, the height would be 221 feet or 67.4 meters.
And a rocket that big needs a lot of fuel to go up.
“The launch team configures the Vulcan Centaur for cryogenic loading and approximately one million pounds (454,000 kg) of methane, liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen into the rocket’s tanks using the same procedures that will be executed on the actual launch day,” ULA explained.
The Vulcan rocket’s engines are made up from different aerospace companies.
2 Blue Origin’s methane-fueled BE-4 main engines
2 Northrop Grumman Space Systems’ GEM 63XL solid rocket boosters
2 Aerojet Rocketdyne’s hydrogen-fueled RL10C-1-1A engines on the Centaur V upper stage
About the mission
The Vulcan second mission, also called CERT-2, is a certification process with the U.S. Space Force.
If this mission is successful, it means the rocket can send up missions for NASA, U.S. Space Force, National Security Space Launch and others.
This is a detailed look of ULA’s Vulcan rocket and its payload for the Cert-2 mission. (ULA)
For the CERT-2 mission, ULA did not go into detail as to what will be launched, just stating, “an inert payload and experiments and demonstrations associated with future Centaur V technologies.”
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Titusville company Space Perspective had a successful first flight of its Neptune capsule (and its second uncrewed test) recently. It is designed to be attached to a huge balloon where tourists can get a view of Earth that only astronauts get to see.
What You Need To Know
The Neptune capsule will be attached to a space balloon
It will be launched from the company’s Marine Spaceport Voyager ship
The first crewed test flight is geared toward the end of 2025
Space Perspective’s Marine Spaceport Voyager ship sailed into Port Canaveral earlier this week with the Neptune aboard, showcasing the capsule’s ability to launch and be recovered from anywhere in the world.
The Neptune, named Excelsior, is a test capsule that was used to gather data from its flight, which will then be analyzed and used to build its next human-rated capsule.
Each flight lasts approximately six to seven hours, and you will be launched from Voyager. There is a two-hour ascent period into the atmosphere traveling at 12 mph (19 kph) until you reach your apogee at 100,000 feet (30,480 meters), where you will stay for two hours, before the two-hour descent stage where you will splash down and be recovered by the Marine Spaceport Voyager.
The space balloon that is used to raise the capsules is 550 feet (168 meters) long, with roughly 150 feet (46 meters) of deck space on board the Voyager. Space Perspective utilizes large rollers to string the balloon back and forth. As it prepares for launch, teams fill just the tip of the balloon by 1%, allowing it to become unfurled as it raises straight up in the air.
“The SpaceBalloon is a well-tested technology that has been flown by NASA and other governments over 1,000 times so it is inherently safe,” the company stated.
Following this test flight, Space Perspective will analyze the collected data to refine its next human-rated spaceship capsule.
And when that does happen, the company promises it will be an amazing sight for tourists who can afford the $125,000 price tag.
“You will ascend into a night sky full of stars, look down at our planet, and watch the sun rise over its curved horizon, illuminating the thin, bright blue line of our atmosphere. You will be able to see about 450 miles in all directions through the almost 360-degree panoramic windows,” the company stated.
And while you will get to see the curve of Earth, you will not be floating around like an astronaut, as the company explained, “People experience it on orbit because the spacecraft is going at 17,500 mph and is literally falling around the planet – the speed counteracts gravity. Neptune goes to space at 12mph so you will not experience weightlessness.”
Co-founders and CEOs Jane Poynter and Taber MacCallum plan to fly on that mission, set for late 2025, with the first customers expected to follow in the late 2025 to early 2026 timeframe.
“This is incredibly exciting. This is when we demonstrate that we take people to the edge of space under a space balloon, validate the technology and, demonstrate the whole operation. The whole crew is very excited, it is amazing teamwork. From the people who built the balloon, to the people who designed and built the capsule, to the ship and the launch system and the ship’s crew. There’s so many teams working together as one big team, it’s incredible,” said MacCallum.
Space Perspective is headquartered in Titusville at the Space Coast Regional Airport where it also has its balloon factory. As for the capsule, the carbon composite manufacturing facility is located in Melbourne which is then shipped to Titusville for the assembly and system integration.
Skywatchers and astronomy lovers are in for a treat as a partial lunar eclipse will dance across the skies Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.
What You Need To Know
The lunar show starts at 8:41 p.m. ET
And it is not just a full moon but a supermoon as well
It is a partial lunar eclipse, meaning part of Earth’s shadow will cover the moon. The celestial show will start at around 8:41 p.m. ET, Tuesday, stated NASA.
Patience will be key as the eclipse will prove difficult to spot until the top edge of the moon starts to enter that shadow at around 10:13 p.m. ET, with the peak of the eclipse happening at 10:44 p.m. ET.
Only about 8% of the full moon will be in Earth’s shadow and the partial lunar eclipse will end Wednesday at 12:47 a.m. ET.
Now, if skywatchers are patient and can wait a few more months, there will be a total lunar eclipse on March 13 and 14, 2025.
And another added treat is that it will be a supermoon. A supermoon is when Earth’s lunar sister’s orbit is at its closest to the planet and when it is full.
It does not happen often because the moon’s orbit is more of an egg shaped, which means when the moon is at its closest orbit to Earth, called a perigee, there is a supermoon.
And September’s full moon is known as a harvest moon or corn moon.
“During the fall harvest season farmers sometimes need to work late into the night by moonlight,” described NASA, adding, “According to this (Maine Farmer’s Almanac), as the full Moon in September the Algonquin tribes in what is now the northeastern USA called this the Corn Moon, as this was the time for gathering their main staple crops of corn, pumpkins, squash, beans, and wild rice.”
This is the second of four supermoons that will occur this year. The next supermoon will happen in October, followed by the final one of the year in November.
Alternative names
According to the farmer’s almanac, names of moons corresponded with entire lunar months and were derived from Native American, Colonial American and European sources.
If the October full moon happens closer to the Fall Equinox than the September full moon, October will take the Harvest Moon name and September’s moon will be referred to as the Corn Moon.
The month is a transitional month as we move away from summer toward fall and the alternative names reflect this.
Autumn Moon (Cree)
Falling Leaves Moon (Ojibwe)
Leaves Turning Moon (Anishinaabe)
Moon of Brown Leaves (Lakota)
Yellow Leaf Moon (Assiniboine)
Partial lunar eclipse
Not only is it a full supermoon, but it’s also a partial lunar eclipse, meaning part of Earth’s shadow will cover the moon. The celestial show will start at around 8:41 p.m. ET, Tuesday.
The partial eclipse will make the moon appear reddish because of the way the Earth’s atmosphere refracts the light.
Check your local forecast here to see how clouds may affect your viewing. Nicknamed the Harvest Moon, since it occurs closest to the Autumnal Equinox.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
This is the second of four supermoons that will occur this year. The next supermoon will happen in October, followed by the final one of the year in November.
Alternative names
According to the farmer’s almanac, names of moons corresponded with entire lunar months and were derived from Native American, Colonial American and European sources.
If the October full moon happens closer to the Fall Equinox than the September full moon, October will take the Harvest Moon name and September’s moon will be referred to as the Corn Moon.
The month is a transitional month as we move away from summer toward fall and the alternative names reflect this.
Autumn Moon (Cree)
Falling Leaves Moon (Ojibwe)
Leaves Turning Moon (Anishinaabe)
Moon of Brown Leaves (Lakota)
Yellow Leaf Moon (Assiniboine)
Partial lunar eclipse
Not only is it a full supermoon, but it’s also a partial lunar eclipse, meaning part of Earth’s shadow will cover the moon. The celestial show will start at around 8:41 p.m. ET, Tuesday.
The partial eclipse will make the moon appear reddish because of the way the Earth’s atmosphere refracts the light.
Check your local forecast here to see how clouds may affect your viewing. Nicknamed the Harvest Moon, since it occurs closest to the Autumnal Equinox.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
FLORIDA — The four civilian crewmembers of the Polaris Dawn mission had a successful splashdown during the pre-dawn hours of Sunday after spending five days orbiting Earth and conducting the first commercial spacewalk, among other firsts.
What You Need To Know
The five-day mission saw a series of firsts, like a commercial spacewalk
Three years ago to the day, both the Polaris Dawn mission splashdown and the Inspiration4 mission launched
Polaris Dawn’s Cmdr. Jared Isaacman, pilot Kidd Poteet and mission specialist and medical officer Anna Menon and mission specialist Sarah Gillis communicated that they were safe after SpaceX’s Dragon capsule named Resilience slowly touched down off the coast of Dry Tortugas, Florida, at around 3:36 a.m. ET, confirmed SpaceX.
Using a boat, the capsule was towed to a recovery ship and brought on board. The crew had help getting out of the capsule as they get reacquainted with gravity. A medical team will check them out as they and the Resilience will be heading back to land. The four will take a helicopter to return to land while the capsule will be taken back with the recovery ship.
The Dragon used a series of parachute deployments to slow it down from an estimated orbital speed of about 17,500 mph (2,816 kph) to 350 mph (482 kph) then to about 15 mph (25 kph) when it softly landed in the ocean.
And going at those speeds before the splashdown meant that people below the Dragon’s flight path may have heard a sonic boom.
It also meant the outside of the Dragon was a bit toasty at a mere 3,000 degrees F (1,649 degrees C).
The Polaris Program’s Polaris Dawn was a joint operation with SpaceX and it is the first of three missions.
Mission specialist and medical officer Anna Menon, left, pilot Kidd Poteet, Cmdr. Jared Isaacman and mission specialist Sarah Gillis sit in SpaceX’s Dragon capsule named Resilience. They took part in the five-day Polaris Dawn mission. (SpaceX)
About the mission
Polaris Program is organized by Isaacman, who is a philanthropist and CEO of Shift4. And this is not the first time for him to be in space as he launched the Inspiration4 mission in 2021, the first all-citizen spaceflight where he was a commander of.
In fact, three years ago to the day, both the Polaris Dawn mission splashdown and the Inspiration4 mission launched.
The Polaris Dawn is a five-day mission that started on Tuesday, Sept. 10, with the quartet taking off in a SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39 at the Kennedy Space Center.
SpaceX Dragon specs:
Height: 26.7 feet tall
Diameter: 13 feet fall
Number of engines: 8
Passengers: It can carry up to 7 people
Parachutes: 2 drogue + 4 main = 6 parachutes
Each day, the mission saw something new. On Wednesday, the Dragon orbited the Earth at a height of 870 miles (1,400 km), breaking the 1966 record of the Gemini 11 mission that saw it at an altitude of 853 miles (1,373 kilometers) above Earth. It was the first time since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972 that humans have been that far from Earth.
Polaris Dawn orbited our little round planet six times during that height.
This also meant that Menon and Gillis are the first women in history to reach a high-altitude orbit. They are SpaceX lead space operations engineers.
One of the experiments being done is testing Starlink’s connections as such great distances. SpaceX owns the Starlink company, which sends up communications satellites.
“So, Starlink is a game changer, and that’s what SpaceX is hoping; provides internet services anywhere in the world based on the satellite mesh constellation that they’ve created,” Poteet told Spectrum News in a feature article.
All four have used Starlink to speak with their family members back on Earth.
Poteet also shared that a number of medical experiments are being conducted on the crew, like monitoring the changes to eyesight and the impact microgravity has on blood flow.
Join the Polaris Dawn crew to learn details behind some of the ~40 science and research experiments being conducted during the mission. Many of these experiments will provide valuable data regarding human health in space ahead of future long-duration space missions pic.twitter.com/yw89eGf11U
On Thursday, Isaacman was the first person in history to conduct the first-ever commercial spacewalk, who was followed by Gillis. All other spacewalks have been done by national space agencies like NASA.
It was also the first time the inside of a Dragon capsule has been exposed to space and it was a test of SpaceX’s spacesuits or extravehicular activity (EVA). While the pair were halfway outside of the capsule, they tested their suits’ mobility.
The mission also saw a few other interesting things that touched on the humanity and arts that can still take part in space. Such as Menon reading her book “Kisses from Space” to patients of St. Jude and her own family.
Or how Gillis performed on her violin. This musical treat was a partnership between the Polaris Program, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and El Sistema USA.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — The Polaris Dawn mission is set to make history with a series of firsts, from a commercial spacewalk to achieving the highest orbit around Earth.
What You Need To Know
This is the first of three Polaris Dawn missions from the Polaris Program
The Polaris Dawn mission is a joint one with SpaceX
The Falcon 9 will be leaving from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center
Polaris Dawn’s Cmdr. Jared Isaacman, pilot Scott “Kidd” Poteet, Anna Menon, medical officer and mission specialist, and Sarah Gillis, who will also be a mission specialist, will climb aboard SpaceX’s Dragon capsule named Resilience and leave on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.
The mission was originally set for Monday, Aug. 26. However, SpaceX announced Wednesday that they are now targeting Tuesday, Aug. 27, for the Polaris Dawn launch. According to the company, the new date allows additional time for teams to complete preflight checkouts ahead of next week’s launch.
The launch window is from 3:38 a.m. ET until 7 a.m. ET, as the Falcon 9 will be leaving from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center.
The Falcon 9’s first-stage booster, B1083, has an impressive record of launches.
And so does the Dragon for this mission, which has done only two launches: Crew-1 and Inspiration4. Inspiration4 was the first all-citizen spaceflight, which Isaacman helped to spearhead and was a member of.
Going around Earth
For five days, these private citizens will orbit the Earth while conducting experiments and doing a series of firsts, such as a commercial spacewalk. Before Polaris Dawn, the only spacewalks done were by government space agencies such as NASA.
The mission is in collaboration with SpaceX.
The Polaris Program’s first Polaris Dawn mission will see the new first-generation SpaceX spacesuit, also known as an extravehicular activity (EVA).
The suit offers greater flexibility, with a helmet that offers a heads-up display and camera. All four will be wearing a suit, especially since the Dragon needs to be depressurized before the big spacewalk done by Isaacman and Gillis, who will be tethered to the capsule.
The mission will also see the furthest planned orbit, with the crew hoping to reach 870 miles (1,400 kilometers) above the planet and breaking the record made by the Gemini 11 mission in 1966, which achieved an altitude of 853 miles (1,373 kilometers) above the Earth.
Menon and Gillis will be the first women in history to reach a high-altitude orbit. They are also lead space operations engineers at SpaceX.
Crewmembers (from left) Jared Isaacman, Anna Menon, Scott “Kidd” Poteet and Sarah Gillis said on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, that they will make a series of firsts during their Polaris Dawn mission, like making the first-commercial spacewalk and going on the furthest planned orbit. (Spectrum News/Anthony Leone)
Each day will see something different, from day one where the crew will prepare for the spacewalk and attempt to break the high orbit record, which will see them pass through the Van Allen radiation belt.
Day two will be more prep work for the spacewalk and a book reading to the kids at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
The Polaris Dawn mission, like Inspiration4, will raise funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Day three will be a livestream of the spacewalk as Day 4 will be another mission objective: Testing the Starlink laser communications system.
This Dragon capsule had a special device installed in it to be able to communicate with Starlink satellites.
Day five will see the crew prepare for what comes on the sixth day, when the four will be splashing down off Florida’s coast.
Isaacman also said that this is not the only mission. This one is a steppingstone to a Polaris Dawn II mission, which will see them in another Dragon. But it is the third mission that will see the crew in SpaceX’s famed Starship.
“The third mission will be the first crewed flight of Starship,” he said. “(It has) twice the thrust of the Saturn IV and it could very well be the 737 for human space flight someday but it will certainly be the vehicle that will return humans to the moon and then onto Mars and beyond.”
CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — Space fans were in for a treat on Tuesday morning as they watched a brand-new SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket take off with more than 20 Starlink satellites.
And the Crew-9 mission is sort of in limbo. NASA stated it may use the Crew-9 to help bring home the crew of Boeing’s Starliner that is docked on the International Space Station. The Starliner capsule has suffered from a series of helium leaks and thruster issues.
The contingency plan is to send up two people on the Crew-9 mission and in February 2025, it will return with those two people and NASA astronauts Cmdr. Barry “Butch” Wilmore and pilot Sunita “Suni” Williams.
About the mission
The 22satellites from the Starlink company, owned by SpaceX, will be heading to low-Earth orbit to join the thousands already there.
Dr. Jonathan McDowell, of Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, keeps track of Starlink satellites.
This month’s full moon will peak on Monday just before 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time and will be the first of the supermoons this year.
What You Need To Know
August’s full moon is known as the Sturgeon Moon thanks to abundant lake sturgeon that was caught in the Great Lakes in late summer
This is the start of a string of supermoons that will commence in November
The moon will look “super-sized”
Nicknamed the Sturgeon Moon, it will appear larger and brighter than the other full moons seen thus far this year.
What’s a supermoon?
“A supermoon is when Earth’s lunar sister’s orbit is at its closest to the planet and when it is full,” explains Spectrum News’ space expert Anthony Leone.
Adding, “We don’t always get them because the moon’s orbit is more of an oval. So, when the moon is at its closest orbit to Earth, called a perigee, we get a supermoon.”
He says during this time the moon will appear brighter and look “super-sized.”
This moon is also considered a “Blue Moon,” which has nothing to do with the color. According to NASA, the third full moon that occurs in a season that has four full moons denotes the third one as a seasonal Blue Moon. A monthly Blue Moon would be the second full moon that occurs during the month.
Alternative names
According to the farmer’s almanac, names of moons corresponded with entire lunar months and were derived from Native American, Colonial American and European sources.
The full moon was dubbed the sturgeon moon thanks to the abundant native freshwater fish caught during late summer in the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain. These prehistoric-looking fish provided an important staple for Native Americans in that region.
There are nearly 30 species of sturgeon worldwide, including the lake sturgeon found in the Great Lakes. The sizes of these fish have evolved from the size of a bass to the size of a car. Unfortunately, due to overfishing in the 19th century, pollution and habitat damage, the lake sturgeon is rare.
Alternative moon names include Flying Up Moon, a Cree term for when young birds leave the nest. Corn Moon, Harvest Moon, Ricing Moon and Black Cherries Moon all refer to a time of maturing crops.
More supermoons?
If you can’t witness this month’s supermoon, Leone says there will be plenty more opportunities. “We will get a celestial treat this year. We will get four supermoons in a row, from August through November.”
He mentions that September’s supermoon will be extra special. “It will also fall on a partial lunar eclipse. This will give the moon a bit of a reddish color to it and that’s because of the way Earth’s atmosphere refracts light.”
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
One of the best meteor showers of the year peaks late this weekend into early next week.
What You Need To Know
The Perseid meteor shower has up to 100 meteors per hour
The best time for viewing will fall between midnight and dawn
This meteor shower comes from the debris of Comet Swift-Tuttle
The Perseid meteor shower peaks Sunday night into Monday, but you can catch them the rest of this weekend and even into early next week. While you can spot meteors zooming across the sky after dark, your best opportunity will be after midnight.
As the night goes on, the constellation Perseus–where the meteorsappear to originate–will rise higher in the northeast sky. However, you can look anywhere overhead, not just in that direction.
The good news is that the moon won’t be full yet, meaning the light won’t wash out the meteors.
In ideal conditions, this show produces 50 to 100 meteors per hour, or about one or two every minute. Go find a dark place away from city lights and let your eyes adjust to the darkness for at least 15 minutes.
The Perseids produce long, bright trails, making it one of the more visual annual showers.
You might be inclined to photograph these spectacles of light. Like in May, when the northern lights were visible, the best way to capture space phenomena is using a DSLR camera on timer and low exposure.
If opting for your smartphone, it’s best to put it on a tripod or stable platform. Go to settings and use long exposure or night mode.
In this long exposure photo, a streak appears in the sky during the annual Perseid meteor shower in 2016. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
We see the Perseids in the late summer as the Earth passes through the dust and debris that Comet Swift-Tuttle leaves behind. The “shooting stars” actually come from grains that are about the size of Grape Nuts, according to Sky & Telescope, that burn in the atmosphere as they zip by at over 130,000 miles per hour.
The nuggets of Grape Nuts cereal are a good approximation of the cometary dust grains that create meteor showers. (Courtesy of Sky & Telescope)
Hopefully clouds don’t get in your way! Check your local forecast here. But if clear skies aren’t in the cards Saturday night, don’t worry. That’s when they should be most active, but the Perseids don’t suddenly start and stop; you can try looking any time around the peak.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — Early Tuesday morning, United Launch Alliance launched its 100th national security mission, which also happened to be the final top-secret launch for its Atlas V rocket.
What You Need To Know
It is Atlas V’s last national security launch
The Atlas family of rockets have been in use since 1957
It took off from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
The famed Atlas V rocket sent up the top-secret USSF-51 mission for the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command, stated ULA.
It took off from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 6:45 a.m. ET.
The 45th Weather Squadron gave an 80% chance of good launch conditions, with the only worries being the cumulus cloud and anvil cloud rules.
Unlike SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rockets, the Atlas V’s first-stage booster does not land.
About the mission and Atlas V
Not much is known about the USSF-51 flight, except that it is a classified National Security Space Launch mission for the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC).
“The USSF-51 mission marks the 58th and final national security launch on Atlas V as ULA transitions to the next generation Vulcan rocket, whose inaugural launch this past January marked the beginning of a new era of space capabilities by providing higher performance and greater affordability while offering the world’s only high energy architecture rocket to deliver any payload, at any time, to any orbit,” stated ULA in a press release to the media.
“The Space Force Atlas V team has an amazing record of serving our National Security Space lift needs,” stated USSF Col. Jim Horne, senior materiel leader for SSC’s Launch Execution Delta. “We have always worked extremely well with this team, and this mission, our last launch with the Atlas V, is looking great!”
While this may be the last NSSL mission for the Atlas V rocket — which the Atlas family started its service in 1957 and includes such missions as military, government, commercial and science — it still has some space miles to go before retirement.
The SSC stated the Atlas V rocket has 15 more commercial and non-defense missions, which include crewed launches.
While many will await to see Atlas V’s next mission, the next flight for ULA will be its second certification flight of its Vulcan rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in September 2024.
This month when the full moon peaks on Sunday at 6:17 a.m. Eastern Time, it will be the climax of the full buck moon, aptly named for those furry, even white-tailed, creatures who possess the woods and fields alike.
What You Need To Know
Full July moon peaks Sunday morning but will be visible this weekend
Named the full buck moon for male deer that shed their antlers
Origins come from several sources, including Native Americans
The origins of the name come from several sources, including Native Americans, early American settlers and even European foundations. According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, it gets its name from the time of the year when male deer or bucks shed their antlers.
Other names include the Berry Moon, Thunder Moon, Halfway Summer Moon, Salmon Moon and Feather Molting Moon.
You can download the moon app to see when the moon will rise from your location.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — A joint mission between NASA and National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will see the final GOES weather satellite be launched, which experts say will better predict hurricanes and space weather.
What You Need To Know
The two-hour launch window opens at 5:16 p.m. ET
The GOES-U is part of a series of weather satellites
Officials say GOES-U will provide valuable information for meteorologists and everyone else
🔻Scroll down to watch the interview with NOAA director about GOES-U🔻
🔻Scroll down to watch the launch🔻
Countdown to launch
In a rare sight over the Florida skies, SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket will liftoff from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday evening, stated NASA.
The two-hour launch window opens at 5:16 p.m. ET.
Ironically, the weather does not look promising for the launch of the weather satellite.
The 45th Weather Squadron is calling for a 30% chance of good liftoff conditions for the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-U (GOES-U).
The main concerns against the launch are: Cumulus cloud, anvil cloud and surface electric fields rules.
SpaceX stated that if the launch is canceled, the next chance for takeoff would be Wednesday, June 26, at the same time.
The two side first-stage boosters, brand new, should be landing at SpaceX’s Landing Zones 1 and 2, so space lovers can keep an ear out for sonic booms.
The middle booster does not land and will fall into the ocean, where it will be retrieved.
NOAA director shares insights of GOES-U
NOAA Director Ken Graham spoke with Spectrum News about the advancements and benefits that the GOES-U will offer.
About the mission
This will be NOAA’s fourth and final satellite in the GOES-R series. The purpose of the GOES series is that it “provides advanced imagery and atmospheric measurements, real-time mapping of lightning activity, and monitoring of space weather,” NOAA stated.
The GOES satellite series is a shared NOAA and NASA program that provides continuous images and data on atmospheric conditions and solar activity, the space agency stated.
Once the GOES-U gets to a geostationary orbit, it becomes GOES-19. And then it will replace the GOES-16 satellite, which it will be renamed GOES East, shared NOAA’s chief scientist of the GOES-R program, Dr. Dan Lindsey, during a teleconference on Monday morning.
He added that as soon as the GOES-U is launched, it will be at the orbit of 89.5 west longitude, just over the continental United States and after a series of check outs over a number of months, it will move into position at 75 west longitude and replace the GOES-16 satellite. This is when it will be given its final name of GOES East.
In this new position, the GOES-U will keep an electronic eye open for severe storms, fires and hurricanes over the vast parts of the Atlantic Ocean and South, Central and North Americas.
The GOES-U satellite is packed with equipment to monitor the weather; earthly or otherwise. Some of the equipment includes:
Advanced Baseline Imager: The main instrument of the GOES satellites is used for imaging the weather, oceans and the environment. NOAA stated the data collected from the imager will help meteorologists when it comes to severe weather and hurricane coverage.
Geostationary Lightning Mapper: This is the first of its kind to be sent to a geostationary orbit. This will help meteorologists to focus on early thunderstorm development before it can create damaging winds or even tornadoes.
Instruments that monitor sun and space weather: The GOES-U satellite will have additional instruments that will monitor and record such things as solar flares or energetic particles and magnetic field variations that can wreak havoc on power utilities, communications, navigation systems and satellites.
What this means for the people of Earth
Officials and meteorologists shared the benefits of the GOES weather satellites.
Lindsey said the GOES-U will provide data that will help meteorologists predict and track hurricanes and allow them to give tornado warnings.
The GOES-U will help warn against solar flares that can disturb satellites and it will provide vital information to pilots, said Elsayed Talaat, director at NOAA’s Office of Space Weather Observations.
Spectrum News meteorologist Maureen McCann talked about the benefits the GOES-U will provide.
“With the increased importance of forecasting space weather, GOES-U will provide meteorologists with better tools to assess the threats that we face from solar flares. The geostationary lighting mapper data will be especially useful for us here in the lightning capital of the country, giving us more insight to our daily sea breeze thunderstorms in addition to any tropical activity,” said the Florida meteorologist.
Stacy Lynn, another Spectrum News meteorologist, talked about how this last satellite in the GOES-R series will help keep communities protected.
“When GOES-19 satellite launches, it will complete the GOES-R series and provide even more information for meteorologists to use on the ground. Here in the Midwest, having the best technology for severe weather forecasting is important. The GOES-R series allows us to observe the evolution of convection helping to provide real-time storm tracking to keep our communities safe,” she said.
It is the earliest solstice in the northern hemisphere since George Washington was president
Full strawberry moon will appear larger and brighter since it occurs so close to the solstice
It takes the Earth 365 ¼ days to revolve around the sun. The sphere of the Earth does not wobble perpendicular to the plane it is moving, it is tilted by 23.5 degrees.
It’s thanks to this tilt that we have seasons. The northern and summer hemispheres will be tilted toward and away from the sun at different intervals of the year.
Summer solstice occurs when a hemisphere is turned toward the sun.
Summer solstice
The summer solstice occurs in the northern hemisphere annually on June 20 or 21. It is when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer and is located the farthest north in the sky.
The days closest to the summer solstice have the most daylight and are known as the year’s longest days. This year summer will begin in the northern hemisphere on June 20 at 4:51 p.m. EST, marking it the earliest start to the season since 1796, when George Washington was president, according to the U.S. Naval Observatory.
June 2016’s full moon occurred on the date of the solstice, but during the morning hours so not officially summer, since the solstice did not happen until that night. June 1996 had two full moons that month; technically, one of those moons occurred during the summer.
But two full moons in a month categorize the second one as a blue moon (that’s where the saying, “once in a blue moon” comes from), meaning 1996’s strawberry moon occurred early in the month during late spring.
Nomenclature
One would think that if it’s nick-named “strawberry” moon, it should appear with a reddish hue, but it depends on where you live, says Leone.
Other tribes, such as the Ojibwe, Dakota and Lakota, reflect this as well. According to NASA, an old European name for this moon is the Mead or Honey Moon to account for the harvest of honey. Some even say that’s where the term “honeymoon” came from because of the custom of marrying in June.
Appearance
The full moon is opposite the sun and will rise just as the sun is setting and inversely set when the sun is rising. With the sun at the highest point north, this means the moon will be at the lowest, making it appear larger.
The Old Farmers’ Almanac refers to this as the “Moon Illusion.” Thanks to its low position, it will have more atmosphere to pass through, says Leone.
“Depending on where you are in the world, the moon could appear reddish, like a strawberry, when it is close to the horizon.” Adding, “the best time to see it is when it is rising, before it becomes its usual goldish or silvery color as it climbs the evening sky.”
He recommends downloading the app “Moon” to find out when it rises from your location. The full strawberry moon will rise Friday at 10:07 p.m. EST.
Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.
CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — Many space fans will be waiting to see if the third launch attempt of Boeing’s maiden crewed flight of its Starliner spacecraft will be a success on Wednesday.
What You Need To Know
The next available launch chance is Wednesday, June 5
It will take off from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida
Learn about the previous launch attempts
Discover more about the Starliner and its crew members
Countdown to launch
With an instantaneous launch at 10:52 a.m. ET, Starliner and United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket are now set to send NASA astronauts Cmdr. Barry “Butch” Wilmore and pilot Sunita “Suni” Williams to the International Space Station.
They will be leaving Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida and are expected to arrive at the ISS at around 12:15 p.m. ET on Thursday, June 06, NASA public affairs specialist Steven Siceloff stated to Spectrum News.
If successful, this will be Starliner’s first launch with people onboard.
A timeline of Starliner launch attempts
Before Wednesday’s launch attempt, the Boeing Crew Flight Test mission has seen many delays, from an issue with a valve on the Atlas V rocket to a persistent helium leak on the Starliner. And NASA confirmed on Friday, May 24, that the Starliner will be launched with the helium leak because officials feel it is stable and manageable.
Previous Starliner coverage
Knowing about their ride: Info on the Starliner and Atlas V rocket
Boeing’s Starliner is designed to fit up to seven people, but for NASA missions, only four to five crew members will be on board.
For this mission, the space capsule will be heading into space thanks to United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket.
Boeing stated that its Starliner is conceived for up to 10 missions and each one is made for a specific assignment.
The spacecraft has only performed two missions, both uncrewed. The first Orbital Flight Test in December 2019, which did launch as planned but there was a glitch in the mission-elapsed timer that caused the spacecraft to go into an orbital insertion burn at the wrong time, which wasted a lot of fuel.
So, while it reached a stable orbit, it could not meet up the ISS.
The first Orbital Flight Test’s Starliner is the same one used for his maiden crewed mission. And it was christen Calypso after Jacques-Yves Cousteau’s oceanography vessel, RV Calypso, stated NASA.
After the stage separation, the Atlas V booster will fall into the ocean. Unlike SpaceX rockets, Atlas rockets do not land.
The Atlas V rocket, with the Starliner on top, stands at 171 feet (52 meters) tall. It is a bit smaller than a stacked SpaceX Falcon rocket at 229.6 feet (70 meters).
Understanding the mission
After the liftoff, it will be a more than 24-hour journey for Wilmore and Williams to reach the International Space Station, where Calypso will dock on the space station’s Harmony module.
If all goes according to plan, it should dock autonomously at 12:15 p.m., Thursday, June 6, according to Siceloff.
The mission has many objectives, but one of the main ones is to prove the Starliner’s ability to launch and land.
“The CFT crew is focused on testing Starliner systems in detail throughout their stay on ISS. For a flight test like this, they will not be tasked with research work on the station itself. They are qualified to do so, but for this mission, the flight testing elements have priority,” according to Siceloff in an earlier interview.
The pair will assess the spacecraft, its displays, and cargo transfer systems; and will even go inside Starliner and close the hatch to show it can be used as a “safe haven” in case there is an emergency, NASA explained.
During the first launch effort, former NASA astronaut and former Boeing CST-100 Starliner Director of Crew and Mission Systems Christopher J. Ferguson explained to Spectrum News what Wilmore and Williams will experience as the Starliner launches.
🚀@Boeing’s former #Starliner Director and @NASA astronaut Chris Ferguson was explaining to me what Cmdr. #Wilmore and pilot #Williams will experience during liftoff and what went into this maiden launch.
“The goal of the program is to provide safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation on space station missions, which will allow for additional research time,” NASA stated.
“In 2014, Boeing was awarded up to $4.2 billion by NASA to build, test and fly the Starliner. The contract includes six service missions, as well as an uncrewed and a crewed flight test to the ISS,” Boeing stated in a 51-page document.
Both Wilmore and Williams will be at the ISS as part-time Expedition 71 members for about a week or before they return to Earth in the Starliner, NASA officials stated.
(ISS expeditions are missions that can last about six months.)
The Starliner will have a “hard landing” in the American Southwest as its parachutes will slow it down to 4 mph before touching soil again. The exact location has not yet been disclosed.
Introducing the crew
Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are seen in this 2022 photo. They will be the first astronauts to crew Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station. (NASA/Robert Markowitz)
When it comes to space travel, the Starliner crew are pros. Wilmore, the commander of the Crew Flight Test mission, became a NASA astronaut in July 2000.
The retired Navy veteran has been on the Atlantis shuttle mission STS-129 in 2009 and two ISS Expedition missions: 41 and 42 between 2014 and 2015.
Williams will be the pilot for this first voyage of the crewed mission. The Ohio native was selected to be a NASA astronaut in 1998 and has been on two ISS missions: Expeditions 14 and 15 in 2006 and 2007. And then 32 and 33 in 2012.
