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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — A day after scrubbing the maiden crewed launch attempt of Boeing’s Starliner, NASA announced on Sunday the mission has a confirmed new liftoff date.
What You Need To Know
The next available launch chance is Wednesday, June 5; backup Thursday, June 6
In latest press conference, NASA officials explain to Spectrum News why they will fly the Starliner with the helium leak
The 45th Weather Squadron is giving a 90% chance of good conditions for launch, with the only concerns being the cumulus cloud rule.
The second launch attempt scrubbed
Minutes before launch of the crewed Starliner spacecraft on Saturday, June 1, Boeing and NASA scrubbed the mission, with an official from the U.S. space agency stating a computer put a hold. The hold happened at 3 minutes, 50 seconds before the instantaneous liftoff at 12:25 p.m. ET.
“NASA, Boeing, and ULA (United Launch Alliance) scrubbed today’s launch opportunity due to the computer ground launch sequencer not loading into the correct operational configuration after proceeding into terminal count,” stated NASA.
On Sunday, the U.S. space agency stated United Launch Alliance’s team discovered the cause.
“The ULA team identified an issue with a single ground power supply within one of the three redundant chassis that provides power to a subset of computer cards controlling various system functions, including the card responsible for the stable replenishment topping valves for the Centaur upper stage,” according to NASA.
The Centaur upper stage is part of ULA’s Atlas V rocket. The chassis are needed to enter the terminal phase of the launch countdown to make sure the crew is safe.
Early Saturday afternoon, NASA stated the next launch attempt would be Sunday, June 02, at 12:03 p.m. ET. But come Saturday evening, NASA stated the mission team wanted more time to assess the ground support equipment issue and the “next available launch opportunities are Wednesday, June 5, and Thursday, June 6,” it stated.
.@NASA, @BoeingSpace, and @ulalaunch are forgoing a Crew Flight Test launch attempt on June 2 to give the team additional time to assess a ground support equipment issue.
ULA will assess the ground support equipment overnight, and NASA will provide an update June 2 on next steps… pic.twitter.com/BlBddwk63o
— NASA Commercial Crew (@Commercial_Crew) June 1, 2024
NASA stated the focus for the launch team is to make sure the ULA Atlas V rocket is in a good configuration as well as Starliner, which is christened Calypso.
For the second time in less than a month, NASA astronauts Cmdr. Barry “Butch” Wilmore and pilot Sunita “Suni” Williams found themselves hoping to be sent to the International Space Station, only to be removed from Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
A number of things were going against this mission, but for Saturday’s attempt, the launch team had to troubleshoot a problem with the topping the Atlas’ Centaur’s cryogenic tanks with fuel. Eventually, a workaround was found.
This is a different issue that what originally scrubbed the mission on Monday, May 6. (Scroll down below for more details.)
Before that, the wind conditions gave some a wary eye.
The 45th Weather Squadron gave a 90% chance of good launch conditions, with the only concerns being ground winds and the cumulus cloud rule.
Mark Burger of the squadron explained to Spectrum News what Saturday’s liftoff conditions were like for both the launch day and for Sunday, one of the backup attempts.
Mark Burger of the 45th Weather Squadron was explaining to me the liftoff conditions for @BoeingSpace’s #Starliner mission for today and the backup launch tomorrow.
Before the Saturday, June 2 launch attempt, the Boeing Crew Flight Test mission has seen several delays, from an issue with a valve on the Atlas V rocket to a persistent helium leak on the Starliner. In fact, NASA stated on Friday, May 24, that the Starliner will be launched with the helium leak, saying it was stable and manageable.
The first launch attempt was set for Monday, May 6. However, minutes before the lift off, officials scrubbed it because they discovered an issue with a pressure regulation valve on a liquid oxygen tank on the Atlas V rocket’s Centaur upper stage.
Both Starliner and the rocket were rolled back to Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex-41 to repair the issue. The pair has since been rolled back to the pad.
Boeing hoped for a second launch attempt on Friday, May 17, at 6:16 p.m. ET. However, a small helium leak that was discovered in the Starliner’s service module put an end to that attempt. The cause of the leak is from a faulty seal.
The small helium leak also dashed the hopes of two more attempts: One for Tuesday, May 21, at 4:43 p.m. ET and the second one on Saturday, May 25, at 3:09 p.m. ET.
On Friday, May 24, NASA confirmed with Spectrum News that it will allow Starliner to launch with a helium leak.
On Wednesday, May 29, both the private company and the U.S. space agency announced that the Starliner mission is still on for the weekend.
“NASA and Boeing teams polled ‘go’ to proceed with plans to launch the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test to the International Space Station at 12:25 p.m. EDT Saturday, June 1. During a Delta-Agency Flight Test Readiness Review Wednesday at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, leaders from NASA, Boeing, and ULA (United Launch Alliance) verified launch readiness, including all systems, facilities, and teams supporting the test flight,” Boeing stated.
During a press conference on Friday, May 31, NASA officials once again assured that the Starliner is safe to flight, despite it losing helium.
Answering a question posed by Spectrum News as to why both NASA and Boeing do not roll the stacked vehicle back into the hanger and remove the space capsule to fix the leak, space agency officials said they have been thorough with reviewing the situation and the data they have collected.
“First of all, we’ve looked really hard at what our options were for this particular flange and the fact that this flange has a fuel line that goes into the flange, an oxygenizer line and helium line all going into the flange makes it problematic to work on. It makes it almost unsafe to work on,” answered Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
He said the broken seal is leaking a half a pound a day and because the tank can hold 50 pounds of helium, they feel they can manage the small leak and within the margin of safety for spaceflight.
“Sometimes for spaceflight, we plan for contingencies and design the vehicle to have margin and in our case, we have margin in the helium tank,” Stich said. “… We really think we can manage this leak both by looking at it before we launch and then if it got bigger in flight, we can manage it. In fact, we can handle it as I said on Friday a leak 100 times worse than this.”
Mark Nappi, Boeing’s vice president and program manager of its commercial crew program, echoed what Stich said, adding that they asked themselves, “Is it safe or not? And it is safe and that’s why we determined to go fly with what we have.”
Learn about Starliner and Atlas V rocket
While the Starliner can fit up to seven crew members, for NASA missions it will carry between four to five people.
Each 16.5-foot (5 meter) tall Starliner is designed for up to 10 launch missions and they are made for each assignment, stated Boeing.
The Starliner spacecraft only has two missions under its wide belt: 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 achieved a stable orbit, it could not meet up with the space station.
The Starliner in the first Orbital Flight Test will be the same one used for this maiden crewed mission. And it is named 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 launch, the Starliner duo will have a more than 24-hour journey to the International Space Station, where Calypso will dock on the space station’s Harmony module, Steven Siceloff, a NASA public affairs specialist, explained to Spectrum News on Wednesday, May 29.
If all goes according to plan, it should dock autonomously at 1:50 p.m., Sunday, stated NASA.
One of the main objectives of the mission is to demonstrate the Starliner’s ability to launch and land. This will be the first time that the Starliner spacecraft will have a journey to the ISS with people onboard.
“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.
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 attempt, 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 eight days before they climb back onboard the Starliner and return to Earth, NASA officials stated.
“Overall, they will be in space … but the exact duration depends on mission conditions and testing of Starliner systems while at the station,” Siceloffstated.
(ISS expeditions are missions that can last about six months.)
During the Saturday, June 01, launch attempt, NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara shared with Spectrum News why she wanted to go into space and the importance of the commercial crew program.
.@Jon_Shaban and I got a chance to interview @NASA astronaut @lunarloral ahead of @BoeingSpace’s #Starliner. She tells use why she wanted to be an astronaut and the importance of the ISS and the new way we get to space.
The Starliner will have a “hard landing” in the American Southwest. Its parachutes will slow it down to 4 mph before touching the earth again. The exact location has not yet been disclosed.
Meeting 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.
CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — After dealing with a number of delays, Boeing is ready to launch the maiden crewed Starliner flight with two NASA astronauts onboard, even though the spacecraft has a helium leak.
Countdown to launch
Sitting on top of United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket, Boeing’s Starliner will take flight on Saturday, June 1, at 12:25 p.m. ET from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
(Boeing built the Starliner and United Launch Alliance — a joint business venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin — built the Atlas V rocket.)
NASA astronauts Cmdr. Barry “Butch” Wilmore and pilot Sunita “Suni” Williams will be heading to the International Space Station while sitting in Starliner, which is christened Calypso.
The 45th Weather Squadron has given a 90% chance of good launch conditions, with the only concerns being ground winds and the cumulus cloud rule.
Mark Burger of the squadron explained to Spectrum News what the liftoff conditions are like for both the launch day and for Sunday, one of the backup attempts.
Mark Burger of the 45th Weather Squadron was explaining to me the liftoff conditions for @BoeingSpace’s #Starliner mission for today and the backup launch tomorrow.
If the Starliner does not go up, the next attempts are set for the following dates, according to NASA: Sunday, June 2, Wednesday, June 5, and Thursday, June 6. No launch times have been given.
Getting off the ground: A timeline
The Boeing Crew Flight Test mission has seen several delays, from an issue with a valve on the Atlas V rocket to a persistent helium leak on the Starliner. In fact, NASA stated on Friday, May 24, that the Starliner will be launched with the helium leak, saying it was stable and manageable.
The first launch attempt was set for Monday, May 6. However, minutes before the lift off, officials scrubbed it because they discovered an issue with a pressure regulation valve on a liquid oxygen tank on the Atlas V rocket’s Centaur upper stage.
Both Starliner and the rocket were rolled back to Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex-41 to repair the issue. The pair has since been rolled back to the pad.
Boeing hoped for a second launch attempt on Friday, May 17, at 6:16 p.m. ET. However, a small helium leak that was discovered in the Starliner’s service module put an end to that attempt. The cause of the leak is from a faulty seal.
The small helium leak also dashed the hopes of two more attempts: One for Tuesday, May 21, at 4:43 p.m. ET and the second one on Saturday, May 25, at 3:09 p.m. ET.
On Friday, May 24, NASA confirmed with Spectrum News that it will allow Starliner to launch with a helium leak.
On Wednesday, May 29, both the private company and the U.S. space agency announced that the Starliner mission is still on for the weekend.
“NASA and Boeing teams polled ‘go’ to proceed with plans to launch the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test to the International Space Station at 12:25 p.m. EDT Saturday, June 1. During a Delta-Agency Flight Test Readiness Review Wednesday at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, leaders from NASA, Boeing, and ULA (United Launch Alliance) verified launch readiness, including all systems, facilities, and teams supporting the test flight,” Boeing stated.
During a press conference on Friday, May 31, NASA officials once again assured that the Starliner is safe to flight, despite it losing helium.
Answering a question posed by Spectrum News as to why both NASA and Boeing do not roll the stacked vehicle back into the hanger and remove the space capsule to fix the leak, space agency officials said they have been thorough with reviewing the situation and the data they have collected.
“First of all, we’ve looked really hard at what our options were for this particular flange and the fact that this flange has a fuel line that goes into the flange, an oxygenizer line and helium line all going into the flange makes it problematic to work on. It makes it almost unsafe to work on,” answered Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
He said the broken seal is leaking a half a pound a day and because the tank can hold 50 pounds of helium, they feel they can manage the small leak and within the margin of safety for spaceflight.
“Sometimes for spaceflight, we plan for contingencies and design the vehicle to have margin and in our case, we have margin in the helium tank,” Stich said. “… We really think we can manage this leak both by looking at it before we launch and then if it got bigger in flight, we can manage it. In fact, we can handle it as I said on Friday a leak 100 times worse than this.”
Mark Nappi, Boeing’s vice president and program manager of its commercial crew program, echoed what Stich said, adding that they asked themselves, “Is it safe or not? And it is safe and that’s why we determined to go fly with what we have.”
Learn about Starliner and Atlas V rocket
While the Starliner can fit up to seven crew members, for NASA missions it will carry between four to five people.
Each 16.5-foot (5 meter) tall Starliner is designed for up to 10 launch missions and they are made for each assignment, stated Boeing.
The Starliner spacecraft only has two missions under its wide belt: 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 achieved a stable orbit, it could not meet up with the space station.
The Starliner in the first Orbital Flight Test will be the same one used for this maiden crewed mission. And it is named 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 launch, the Starliner duo will have a more than 24-hour journey to the International Space Station, where Calypso will dock on the space station’s Harmony module, Steven Siceloff, a NASA public affairs specialist, explained to Spectrum News on Wednesday, May 29.
If all goes according to plan, it should dock autonomously at 1:50 p.m., Sunday, stated NASA.
One of the main objectives of the mission is to demonstrate the Starliner’s ability to launch and land. This will be the first time that the Starliner spacecraft will have a journey to the ISS with people onboard.
“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.
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 attempt, 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 eight days before they climb back onboard the Starliner and return to Earth, NASA officials stated.
“Overall, they will be in space … but the exact duration depends on mission conditions and testing of Starliner systems while at the station,” he stated.
(ISS expeditions are missions that can last about six months.)
The Starliner will have a “hard landing” in the American Southwest. Its parachutes will slow it down to 4 mph before touching the earth again. The exact location has not yet been disclosed.
Meeting 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.
CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — SpaceX is preparing for a Memorial Day Starlink launch.
What You Need To Know
SpaceX will send off Starlink 6-60 mission at 11:30 a.m. ET
It will take place at Space Launch Complex 40
The Falcon 9 rocket will send up Starlink 6-60 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, stated SpaceX.
The launch window will open at 11:30 a.m. ET, which is at the close of the launch window.
The launch was originally set to happen at 7:30 a.m. ET and then it was moved to 10:20 a.m. ET and finally at 10:56 a.m. ET; SpaceX did not state why it was pushed back.
The 45th Weather Squadron gave a 95% to 90% chance of good liftoff conditions, with the only concerns being the cumulus cloud rule.
If the launch is scrubbed, the next try will be Tuesday, May 28, at 7:30 a.m. ET, SpaceX stated.
Going up
This will be the 10th mission for the Falcon 9’s first-stage booster B1078. The nine missions it has launched are quite impressive:
CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — NASA and Boeing announced their decision to scrub the maiden launch of the company’s Starliner spacecraft nearly two hours before liftoff due to an issue with an oxygen relief valve.
“NASA, Boeing, and ULA (United Launch Alliance) are targeting no earlier than Friday, May 10, for launch of the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test to the International Space Station, pending resolution of the technical issue that prevented the May 6 launch attempt.
The delay allows teams to complete data analysis on a pressure regulation valve on the liquid oxygen tank of the Atlas V rocket ‘s Centaur upper stage and determine whether it is necessary to replace the valve.”
What You Need To Know
The new launch time has not been announced yet
United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket will take off from Launch Complex-41
This will be the first time that Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft will have a journey to the ISS with people onboard
Find out why the Starliner spacecraft is named Calypso; this will be the second mission for the craft
ULA Launch Director Tom Heter III made the decision that the launch operations would not continue. During a live feed, NASA stated that there was an issue with an oxygen relief valuve. Depending on the severity of the issue, the next launch attempt could be Tuesday, May 07, or later, stated NASA.
“Today’s #Starliner launch is scrubbed as teams evaluate an oxygen relief valve on the Centaur Stage on the Atlas V. Our astronauts have exited Starliner and will return to crew quarters,” NASA stated on X, formerlly known as Twitter.
Scroll down to the graphic to see where the Centaur stage is on the stacked rocket.
NASA astronauts Cmdr. Barry “Butch” Wilmore and pilot Sunita “Suni” Williams had just gotten into the Starliner spacecraft when the announcement was made at around 8:34 p.m. ET. They were ready to be sent to the International Space Station.
The Crew Space Transportation (CST) 100 Starliner spacecraft named Calypso, while sitting on top of United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket, will take off from Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, according to NASA.
The 45th Weather Squadron gave a 95% chance of good liftoff conditions, with the only worries being the cumulus cloud rule.
About Starliner and Atlas V rocket
While the Starliner can fit up to seven crew members, for NASA missions it will carry between four to five people.
Each 16.5-foot (5 meter) tall Starliner is designed for up to 10 launch missions and they are made for each assignment, stated Boeing.
The Starliner spacecraft only has two missions under its wide belt: The first Orbital Flight Test in December 2019, which launched well 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 and used too much fuel.
This meant that while it was in a stable orbit, it could not make a rendezvous with the space station.
In fact, the Starliner in the first Orbital Flight Test will be the same one used for this maiden crewed mission. And it is named 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 launch, the Starliner crew will have a more than 27-hour journey to the ISS, where Calypso will dock on the space station’s Harmony module autonomously, stated NASA.
“During its stay, the crew will evaluate the spacecraft, its displays, and cargo transfer systems. Wilmore and Williams will also go inside Starliner, close the hatch, and demonstrate the spacecraft can perform as a ‘safe haven’ in the case one is needed in the future,” NASA explained.
One of the main objectives of the mission is to demonstrate the Starliner’s ability to launch and land. This will be the first time that the Starliner spacecraft will have a journey to the ISS with people onboard.
Former NASA astronaut and former Boeing CST-100 Starliner Director of Crew and Mission Systems Christopher J. Ferguson was explaining 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.
Artemis II mission specialist Jermey Hansen shared his thoughts with Spectrum News about the Boeing mission and what it means for him to go into space for the first time. And his first mission is the Artemis II, where humans will return to orbit the moon.
#ArtemisII Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen was telling me what makes @BoeingSpace’s #Starliner mission special and his thoughts of going to space for the first time and not just the first time but also orbiting the #moon.
“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-page document.
Both Wilmore and Williams will be at the ISS as part time Expedition 71 members for about a week before they climb back onboard the Starliner and return to Earth.
(ISS expeditions are missions that can last about six months.)
The Starliner will have a “hard landing” in the American Southwest. Its parachutes will slow it down to 4 mph before touching the earth again. The exact location has not yet been disclosed.
Getting to know 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)
The crew for this mission is no strangers to being in space. 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.
CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — A pair of NASA astronauts will be sent to the International Space Station in the first crewed mission of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.
What You Need To Know
The launch is set for Monday, May 6
United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket will take off from Launch Complex-41
This will be the first time that Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft will have a journey to the ISS with people onboard
Find out why the Starliner spacecraft is named Calypso; this will be the second mission for the craft
Countdown to launch
The Crew Space Transportation (CST) 100 Starliner spacecraft named Calypso, while sitting on top of United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket, will take off from Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Monday night, May 6, according to NASA.
The instantaneous launch window opens at 10:34 p.m. ET.
The Starliner will be sending up NASA astronauts Cmdr. Barry “Butch” Wilmore and pilot Sunita “Suni” Williams.
About Starliner and Atlas V rocket
While the Starliner can fit up to seven crew members, for NASA missions it will carry between four to five people.
Each 16.5-foot (5 meter) tall Starliner is designed for up to 10 launch missions and they are made for each assignment, stated Boeing.
The Starliner spacecraft only has two missions under its wide belt: The first Orbital Flight Test in December 2019, which launched well 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 and used too much fuel.
This meant that while it was in a stable orbit, it could not make a rendezvous with the space station.
In fact, the Starliner in the first Orbital Flight Test will be the same one used for this maiden crewed mission. And it is named 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 launch, the Starliner crew will have a more than 27-hour journey to the ISS, where Calypso will dock on the space station’s Harmony module autonomously, stated NASA.
“During its stay, the crew will evaluate the spacecraft, its displays, and cargo transfer systems. Wilmore and Williams will also go inside Starliner, close the hatch, and demonstrate the spacecraft can perform as a ‘safe haven’ in the case one is needed in the future,” NASA explained.
One of the main objectives of the mission is to demonstrate the Starliner’s ability to launch and land. This will be the first time that the Starliner spacecraft will have a journey to the ISS with people onboard.
“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 before they climb back onboard the Starliner and return to Earth.
(ISS expeditions are missions that can last about six months.)
The Starliner will have a “hard landing” in the American Southwest. Its parachutes will slow it down to 4 mph before touching the earth again. The exact location has not yet been disclosed.
Getting to know 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)
The crew for this mission is no strangers to being in space. 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.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — Early Tuesday morning, Boeing rolled out its Starliner spacecraft at the Kennedy Space Center, getting ready for the anticipated Crew Flight Test to the International Space Station next month.
What You Need To Know
The maiden launch is expected to happen next month
The rollout happened at the Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center during the early morning hours on Tuesday, April 16. The 16.5-foot-tall (5-meter) Starliner is heading to the Vertical Integration Facility at nearby Cape Canaveral Space Force Station to be connected to the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, confirmed NASA.
Boeing CST-100 Starliner is on the move to be mated atop a ULA Atlas V rocket to send NASA astronauts Sunita “Suni” Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore to the ISS during the upcoming Crew Flight Test of the spacecraft. Launch currently targeting May 6th at 10:34pm ET. pic.twitter.com/mwDWzRGLV1
The Boeing Crew Flight Test mission will take its maiden flight with astronauts Comdr. Barry “Butch” Wilmore and pilot Sunita “Suni” Williams as it will carry them to the ISS.
Currently, both NASA and Boeing are aiming for a Monday, May 6, launch at 10:34 p.m. ET, from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, the space agency stated.
“The duo will spend about a week at the orbiting laboratory before Starliner makes a parachute and airbag-assisted landing in the southwestern United States,” NASA stated.
If the mission is successful, NASA stated it will begin to finalize the process of certifying Starliner for crewed missions to the ISS.
Once Starliner is certified, Boeing will be the second U.S. private company to send people to the space station, the first being SpaceX.
The Starliner is about 15 feet (4.5 meters) in diameter and can carry four astronauts or a few crew members and cargo for NASA missions to low-Earth orbit. It can be steered manually or automatically. Boeing stated that its Starliner can carry up to seven people.
SpaceX was eyeing for Friday, 7:57 p.m. ET for the mission.
But it was suspected that the launch would not happen on Friday evening. The 45th Weather Squadron did call for a 25% chance of good liftoff conditions, with the concerns being liftoff winds and the anvil cloud and cumulus cloud rules.
“Conditions will deteriorate through the day Friday as the Gulf Low moves northeast, bringing gusty winds, showers, and isolated thunderstorms across Central Florida,” the squadron stated.
Liftoff conditions improved for Saturday night, increasing to 75% chance favorable, stated the squadron, adding that winds and the cumulus cloud rule were the only issues.
For the launch, the Falcon 9 rocket left Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center and send the Starlink 6-42 mission to low-Earth orbit.
A little first-stage booster history
Named B1060, this Falcon 9 first-stage booster for the Starlink 6-42 mission already has an impressive resume with 18 memorable launches.
After the stage separation, the rocket is expected to land on the droneship Just Read the Instructions stationed out in the Atlantic Ocean.
Understanding the mission
SpaceX plans to send up 23 Starlink satellites, where it will provide internet services with the others already in low-Earth orbit.
NATIONWIDE — SpaceX was able to successfully launch Starship on Thursday morning and while the spacecraft itself was in space for the first time, it was lost while orbiting the planet. Its exact fate is currently unknown after the company stated it was not sending out a signal.
What You Need To Know
A number of accomplishments were made, stated SpaceX
It was the longest Starship test so far; about 51 minutes
The launch happened at the company’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas
Scroll down to learn more about the Starship
The liftoff happened at 9:25 a.m. ET with a mixture of cheers from the Starship team heard over SpaceX’s live feed and the roar of the Starship’s Raptor engines.
The launch took place at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas.
Collectively known as Starship, the first-stage rocket’s 33 Raptor engines, fueled with thousands of tons of sub-cooled liquid oxygen and liquid methane, lit up as it went into the sky.
The new hot stage separation worked as designed, just like during the second launch attempt in November 2023. While it worked last time, it resulted in the rocket being destroyed. (Please see below for more.)
Starship’s Raptor engines have ignited during hot-staging separation. Super Heavy is executing the flip maneuver pic.twitter.com/T593ACilyD
The first-stage Super Heavy rocket had a hard-water landing in the Gulf of Mexico, confirmed SpaceX. The damage to it is unknown.
The Starship spacecraft was doing various tests while in orbit, including the opening and closing of the payload door, affectionately known as the “Pez door”.
At one point, the Starship was traveling 40 miles (65 kilometers) above the round Earth and moving at 15,973 mph (25,707 kmh).
The plan was for Starship to have a water landing in the Indian Ocean. However, about 51 minutes after liftoff, SpaceX announced on its live feed, “We are making the call now that we have lost ship 28.”
The ship’s signal back down to the team was lost and SpaceX confirmed that it would take a “little bit of time” to find out what exactly happened to the ship.
SpaceX admitted during its live feed that there was always a chance the Starship and the Super Heavy rocket would not survive their splashdowns.
However, SpaceX considered that the third flight test made some accomplishments, some not seen before:
All Raptor engines lighting up
The second time the hot stage separation worked
The craft’s heat shield being intact
The payload doors worked
The first time Starship was in space
The longest Starship test so far
SpaceX stated it will review the data that was collected and use that for the next Starship test.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson called it a “successful test flight” of the Starship on X.
“Together, we are making great strides through Artemis to return humanity to the Moon—then look onward to Mars,” Nelson stated about NASA’s and SpaceX’s plans.
Later after the launch test, Federal Aviation Administration stated that it will be investigating the Starship flight.
“No public injuries or public property damage have been reported. The FAA is overseeing the SpaceX-led mishap investigation to ensure the company complies with its FAA-approved mishap investigation plan and other regulatory requirements,” the FAA stated. “The FAA will be involved in every step of the mishap investigation process and must approve SpaceX’s final report, including any corrective actions.”
Getting off the ground
The launch did not go off on time due to wind concerns and giving boats in the splashdown areas time to get out of the way.
The 110-minute launch window was originally set for 8 a.m. ET, but SpaceX pushed the time back to 8:02 a.m. ET. Then SpaceX pushed it to 9:10 a.m. ET, so that boats in the splash down zones had time to move out of the area, stated SpaceX.
Shifting T-0 a few more minutes to give boats time to clear the keep out area, now targeting 8:10 a.m. CT
On Wednesday afternoon, the California-based company announced that it would be testing its 397-foot-tall stacked Starship for a third time on Thursday from its Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas.
SpaceX CEO and founder Elon Musk posted on X, stating that “Starship will make life multiplanetary.”
About Starship
Starship is where SpaceX’s hopes and dreams are stored. If all goes well, it will take humans back to Earth’s moon and eventually, it will go to Mars.
It is a two-stage heavy lift launch rocket that will be a fully reusable transportation system to carry humans and cargo into space. The rocket is known as the Super Heavy and the spacecraft is called Starship, but collectively, they are known as Starship.
Both the Super Heavy rocket, with its 33 Raptor engines fueled by thousands of tons of sub-cooled liquid oxygen and liquid methane, and the Starship are designed to be reusable.
The Starship is planned to carry 100 crew members and cargo to Earth orbit, the moon and eventually Mars, according to the ship’s user guide.
What to expect for the third-test flight
For the third test, SpaceX stated it built on the two previous launches and planned to showoff a series of demonstrations.
“The third flight test aims to build on what we’ve learned from previous flights while attempting a number of ambitious objectives, including the successful ascent burn of both stages, opening and closing Starship’s payload door, a propellant transfer demonstration during the upper stage’s coast phase, the first ever re-light of a Raptor engine while in space, and a controlled reentry of Starship. It will also fly a new trajectory, with Starship targeted to splashdown in the Indian Ocean,” SpaceX explained.
If things had gone according to plan, this would have been Starship’s flight path.
The new stage separation, called hot stage separation, worked as designed, but it resulted in the Super Heavy rocket’s destruction.
“Following stage separation, Super Heavy initiated its boostback burn, which sends commands to 13 of the vehicle’s 33 Raptor engines to propel the rocket toward its intended landing location. During this burn, several engines began shutting down before one engine failed energetically, quickly cascading to a rapid unscheduled disassembly of the booster,” SpaceX described.
SpaceX believed the likely cause of the booster blowing up was a filter blockage where liquid oxygen fuel goes to the engines.
Minutes later after the hot stage separation, SpaceX could not regain a signal to the Starship spacecraft and the company was forced to destroy it.
“A leak in the aft section of the spacecraft that developed when the liquid oxygen vent was initiated resulted in a combustion event and subsequent fires that led to a loss of communication between the spacecraft’s flight computers. This resulted in a commanded shut down of all six engines prior to completion of the ascent burn, followed by the Autonomous Flight Safety System detecting a mission rule violation and activating the flight termination system, leading to vehicle breakup,” the company stated.
SpaceX stated it has corrected the issues (17 corrective actions) that occurred during the second flight attempt.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — A scrubbed launch did not stop NASA and SpaceX from sending the four-member Crew-8 mission to the International Space Station on Sunday night.
What You Need To Know
The launch happened on Sunday at 10:53 p.m. ET
Crew-8 members will spend the next months conducting experiments
Countdown to liftoff
Watch the launch and hear the sonic boom of the returning first-stage rocket.
🚀It was another good launch as both @NASA and @SpaceX sent up the #Crew8 mission tonight.
Right as the instantaneous launch window opened at 10:53 p.m. ET, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket launched NASA astronauts Cmdr. Matthew Dominick, pilot Michael Barratt, and mission specialists Jeanette Epps and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center on Sunday, March 2.
The Falcon 9’s nine Merlin engines roared into the night as it brighten the dark sky like a small sun, creating multiple colors during stage separation between the rocket and the Dragon capsule.
Space lovers counted down to liftoff as the launch caused spectators to gap in wonder and car alarms to go off.
The next stop for this crew will be the International Space Station, with the targeted docking time at 3 a.m. ET, Tuesday, March 5, confirmed NASA.
There was a last minute surprise when a small crack was discovered on the Dragon capsule’s hatch, but the launch team reviewed it and determined that it was OK to continue the launch.
SpaceX officials stated that the crack should re-seal during re-entry.
Going to the ISS
The Falcon’s first-stage booster, B1083, is brand new, meaning the Crew-8 mission is the first one for this little rocket.
For Florida, this was the 14th launch for the Sunshine State this year.
After the stage separation, the first-stage booster landed at Landing Zone 1, that sent a cracking sonic boom that was heard for miles around.
Liftoff of #Crew8 as they embark on their journey to the #ISS to carry out more than 200 science missions during their six-month stay. pic.twitter.com/CHWhfbHwO3
Not counting this mission, the Dragon capsule named Endeavour has a few missions under its belt. The 26.7-foot-tall (8.1 meters) space taxis that will send the four crewmembers has successfully carried out the following missions.
“Lifting off from Launch Pad 39A on a Falcon 9 rocket, Dragon will accelerate to approximately 17,500 mph, to dock with the space station,” NASA stated.
For the Dragon to move that fast, it is all thanks to the 229.6-foot-tall (69.9 meters) Falcon 9 rocket and its nine Merlin engines. Because of those engines, the rocket can lift a payload of 50,265 pounds and send it to low-Earth orbit, which is where the ISS is.
The Endeavour will dock autonomously with the ISS’s Harmony module, but the crew can take the controls and pilot it themselves, if needed.
Attempting to launch
It was set to go up at 11:16 p.m. ET, Saturday, but NASA officials said that they were scrubbing the mission due to unfavorable weather. The forecast was a bit iffy, with a 40% chance of good liftoff conditions, according to the 45th Weather Squadron. The main concerns were the flight through precipitation, thick cloud layer and the cumulus cloud rules.
The squadron gave a 75% chance of good launch weather for Sunday’s flight, with the only concerns being the flight through precipitation and cumulus cloud rule. But later during the night, NASA updated that to 90%.
If it did not go up on Sunday, the next attempt would have been Monday, March 4, at 10:31 p.m. ET.
About the mission
While NASA says that the crew members will spend several months onboard the ISS, usually it is about six months if we look at past crewed missions.
And they will not be alone. They will belong to the ISS’s Expedition 69 and 70. An expedition means the current crew in the International Space Station.
Before the Crew-8 joins them, there are currently seven crew members on the floating laboratory. They recently had guests from the Ax-3 mission.
The Crew-8 will conduct more than 200 experiments and demonstrate technology.
“Experiments include using stem cells to create organoid models to study degenerative diseases, studying the effects of microgravity and UV radiation on plants at a cellular level, and testing whether wearing pressure cuffs on the legs could prevent fluid shifts and reduce health problems in astronauts,” NASA explained.
Patrick O’Neil, the public relations officer for the ISS National Lab, explained to Spectrum News about some of the work that is done on the ISS.
Patrick O’Neil, the public relations officer for the #ISS National Lab, told me about some of the benefits of the experiments and work that is done on the #InternationalSpaceStation.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — A scrubbed launch did not stop NASA and SpaceX from sending the four-member Crew-8 mission to the International Space Station on Sunday night.
What You Need To Know
The launch happened on Sunday at 10:53 p.m. ET
Crew-8 members will spend the next months conducting experiments
Countdown to liftoff
Watch the launch and hear the sonic boom of the returning first-stage rocket.
🚀It was another good launch as both @NASA and @SpaceX sent up the #Crew8 mission tonight.
Right as the instantaneous launch window opened at 10:53 p.m. ET, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket launched NASA astronauts Cmdr. Matthew Dominick, pilot Michael Barratt, and mission specialists Jeanette Epps and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center on Sunday, March 2.
The Falcon 9’s nine Merlin engines roared into the night as it brighten the dark sky like a small sun, creating multiple colors during stage separation between the rocket and the Dragon capsule.
Space lovers counted down to liftoff as the launch caused spectators to gap in wonder and car alarms to go off.
The next stop for this crew will be the International Space Station, with the targeted docking time at 3 a.m. ET, Tuesday, March 5, confirmed NASA.
There was a last minute surprise when a small crack was discovered on the Dragon capsule’s hatch, but the launch team reviewed it and determined that it was OK to continue the launch.
SpaceX officials stated that the crack should re-seal during re-entry.
Going to the ISS
The Falcon’s first-stage booster, B1083, is brand new, meaning the Crew-8 mission is the first one for this little rocket.
For Florida, this was the 14th launch for the Sunshine State this year.
After the stage separation, the first-stage booster landed at Landing Zone 1, that sent a cracking sonic boom that was heard for miles around.
Liftoff of #Crew8 as they embark on their journey to the #ISS to carry out more than 200 science missions during their six-month stay. pic.twitter.com/CHWhfbHwO3
Not counting this mission, the Dragon capsule named Endeavour has a few missions under its belt. The 26.7-foot-tall (8.1 meters) space taxis that will send the four crewmembers has successfully carried out the following missions.
“Lifting off from Launch Pad 39A on a Falcon 9 rocket, Dragon will accelerate to approximately 17,500 mph, to dock with the space station,” NASA stated.
For the Dragon to move that fast, it is all thanks to the 229.6-foot-tall (69.9 meters) Falcon 9 rocket and its nine Merlin engines. Because of those engines, the rocket can lift a payload of 50,265 pounds and send it to low-Earth orbit, which is where the ISS is.
The Endeavour will dock autonomously with the ISS’s Harmony module, but the crew can take the controls and pilot it themselves, if needed.
Attempting to launch
It was set to go up at 11:16 p.m. ET, Saturday, but NASA officials said that they were scrubbing the mission due to unfavorable weather. The forecast was a bit iffy, with a 40% chance of good liftoff conditions, according to the 45th Weather Squadron. The main concerns were the flight through precipitation, thick cloud layer and the cumulus cloud rules.
The squadron gave a 75% chance of good launch weather for Sunday’s flight, with the only concerns being the flight through precipitation and cumulus cloud rule. But later during the night, NASA updated that to 90%.
If it did not go up on Sunday, the next attempt would have been Monday, March 4, at 10:31 p.m. ET.
About the mission
While NASA says that the crew members will spend several months onboard the ISS, usually it is about six months if we look at past crewed missions.
And they will not be alone. They will belong to the ISS’s Expedition 69 and 70. An expedition means the current crew in the International Space Station.
Before the Crew-8 joins them, there are currently seven crew members on the floating laboratory. They recently had guests from the Ax-3 mission.
The Crew-8 will conduct more than 200 experiments and demonstrate technology.
“Experiments include using stem cells to create organoid models to study degenerative diseases, studying the effects of microgravity and UV radiation on plants at a cellular level, and testing whether wearing pressure cuffs on the legs could prevent fluid shifts and reduce health problems in astronauts,” NASA explained.
Patrick O’Neil, the public relations officer for the ISS National Lab, explained to Spectrum News about some of the work that is done on the ISS.
Patrick O’Neil, the public relations officer for the #ISS National Lab, told me about some of the benefits of the experiments and work that is done on the #InternationalSpaceStation.
JOHNSON SPACE CENTER — Even though the IM-1 mission’s lunar lander Odysseus tipped over after landing on the moon last week, the company’s CEO called it a “successful mission” during a press conference on Wednesday.
What You Need To Know
The lunar lander will be put to sleep during the lunar night
Once the sun comes back up on the moon, they hope to hear the lander again
During the press conference with Intuitive Machines and NASA officials, the Houston-based company revealed that its 14-foot-tall (4.3 meters) Nova-C class lunar lander is on its side, at about a 30-degree angle, after coming in for its soft landing on the moon.
In a previous teleconference, co-founder and CEO of Intuitive Machines Steve Altemus said that one of its six legs dug into the lunar soil as it was coming in and it tipped over.
On Wednesday, Altemus said that despite not landing upright as intended, all the payloads, including the six from NASA, are collecting and sending data back to the IM-1 team.
“We have conducted a very successful mission at this point,” he said.
Last week, Intuitive Machines made history by being the first private company to land on the moon with its IM-1 mission. It was the first time in more than 50 years that the United States was able to return to the moon. The last time was in 1972 during the Apollo 17 mission.
On Wednesday, Dr. Sue Lederer, CLPS project scientist at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, said that the mission lasted six days. She called Odysseus a “scrappy little guy.”
She said during that time, all the scientific data that has been collected and archived will be used for future moon missions.
NASA has a fleet of instruments that are designed to help to ensure the safe landing for the Artemis III mission and beyond, Lederer said as she answered Spectrum News’ question during the press conference.
“All of the data that can be used for Artemis, will be used for Artemis,” she said.
About the EagleCam
In addition to data, the lunar lander’s cameras have transmitted photos back to Earth.
Among the payloads, one of them is Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s EagleCam, which was originally meant to be deployed from the lunar lander during its descent, where the camera was going to land on the moon first and take the first photos of a spacecraft landing on the moon from a third-person perspective.
However, a decision was made to not deploy the camera in order to protect the lander.
“Our number one priority was to not interfere with landing operations. After group discussions with Intuitive Machines’ mission control, the team decided it would be best for both IM’s and our own mission success to remain powered down,” Andrew Ankeny, an aerospace engineer major and member of the EagleCam team, explained to Spectrum News.
On Wednesday, Altemus praised the EagleCam team. He said on Wednesday morning, he said they reactivated the EagleCam, powered it up and ejected it 13 feet (4 meters) away from the vehicle.
However, there is a connection issue with the camera and its Wi-Fi abilities, he said, adding that the EagleCam team is working to resolve.
But he did call the EagleCam “a wild success” just ejecting itself alone and would “love” to have it for another mission.
Later in the day, the EagleCam team posted on its Instagram page that the team had been working for days to resolve the issues, but “the technical complications ultimately resulted in an inability to capture images of the Odysseus lander.”
The data that was collected will be analyzed and published in the near future, the team stated.
Going to sleep
Altemus said the IM-1 team will put Odysseus to sleep during the lunar night, which lasts about two Earth weeks. Once the lunar day comes back, the team plans to wake up Odysseus to see if it can get readings from the lunar lander itself and its payloads.
“We will tuck Odie in for the cold night of the moon,” he said, adding that it is degrading in power.
Batteries do not respond well and the electronics are not designed to handle the deep cold, about -150 degrees during a lunar night, but the solar panels will power the craft. And the IM-1 team plans to turn the lander back on.
“Why not try… and see what happens,” Dr. Tim Crain, chief technology officer and co-founder of Intuitive Machines, said.
Trying to land on the moon
Both Altemus and Crain, also IM-1 mission chief, said that the data from the lunar lander’s systems gathered will be studied and implemented for the IM-2 mission, which is scheduled for later in 2024.
Altemus explained why it was hard to land Odysseus on the moon. The Houston-based company’s Nova-C lunar lander was originally set to land at crater Malapert A, near the south pole of the moon.
But due to an issue with Odysseus’ internal navigation system hours before the soft touchdown, the IM-1 team decided to put it in another orbit around the moon to fix the issue.
What made it hard to land on the moon now, as opposed to during the Apollo missions all those decades ago, because of a few things, such as landing a brand-new style of vehicle in a different part of the moon.
CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — A moon lander that ended up on its side managed to beam back more pictures, with only hours remaining before it dies.
Intuitive Machines posted new photos of the moon’s unexplored south polar region Tuesday.
The company’s lander, Odysseus, captured the shots last Thursday shortly before making the first U.S. touchdown on the moon in more than 50 years. Odysseus landed on its side, hampering communication and power generation.
Once sunlight can no longer reach the lander’s solar panels, operations will end. Intuitive Machines expects that to happen sometime between Tuesday afternoon and early Wednesday.
The mission, part of NASA’s effort to boost the lunar economy, was supposed to last until at least Thursday, when lunar nighttime sets in. NASA has six experiments on board.
Intuitive Machines is the first private business to land a spacecraft on the moon without crashing. Another U.S. company launched its own lunar lander last month, but a fuel leak doomed the mission and the craft came crashing back to Earth.
