Space, NASA and Science News

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Elon Musk calls for deorbit of International Space Station as soon as possible

Elon Musk’s latest space-related hammer throw is a call to bring down the International Space Station as soon as two years from now.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/02/20/elon-musk-calls-for-deorbit-of-international-space-station-as-soon-as-possible/?

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NASA cuts deal but still losing 5% of workforce as DOGE looks under hood

NASA cut a deal with the Trump administration that may stave off sweeping layoffs seen across other federal agencies but still will see about 900 fewer employees through a buyout plan, the agency said.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/02/21/nasa-cuts-deal-but-losing-5-of-workforce-as-doge-opens-up-hood/?

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Dazzling images

The Blue Ghost spacecraft has been sharing stunning visuals of our celestial neighbor since it entered the moon’s orbit a week and a half ago. It will attempt to land on the lunar surface in just a few days. Take a closer look.

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Moonbound medley: Record 3 lunar landers will be on way at same time

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — A lot more moondust could be kicked up soon with three lunar landers headed simultaneously on missions for the first time in history.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/02/25/moonbound-medley-record-3-lunar-landers-will-be-on-way-at-same-time/?

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SpaceX launch sends ice hunters to the moon

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — A SpaceX launch Wednesday night sent both a lander and an orbiter on their way to the moon, both on the hunt for ice.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/02/26/spacex-launch-tonight-to-send-ice-hunters-to-the-moon/?

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Gayle King, Lauren Sánchez to lead Blue Origin all-women crewed mission

CBS anchor Gayle King and Lauren Sánchez, fiancé of Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos, are heading to space on a Blue Origin flight this spring with four other women, King announced Thursday.

https://www.axios.com/2025/02/27/gayle-king-lauren-sanchez-blue-origin-mission?

All-female crew

Singer Katy Perry and journalist Gayle King will be among those aboard a Blue Origin rocket scheduled to launch this spring. Lauren Sánchez, the fiancée of CEO Jeff Bezos, also plans to head to space on the New Shepard mission.

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Planet Parade in Orlando: All 7 planets can be seen in the night sky this week

Astronomy enthusiasts will be treated to an alignment of planets in the night sky this week that will look like a “parade” when viewed from Earth.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/02/26/planet-parade-seven-planets-night-sky-this-week/?

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1 fun thing: Planetary parade

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Look to the sky tonight for the rare chance to see seven planets lined up. Saturn, Mercury, Neptune, Venus, Uranus, Jupiter and Mars will appear together in a "parade of planets" shortly after sunset, Axios' Kelly Tyko reports. Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter will be visible to the naked eye. 🔭 To see the seven-planet alignment, find a place without light pollution and a clear view of the horizon. The best time to start to look for the planets is about half an hour after sunset.

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‘We’re on the moon’: Firefly Aerospace nails perfect lunar landing

An American company became the first private firm to perform a perfect moon landing early Sunday when Firefly Aerospace sent its Blue Ghost lander down to the surface.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/03/01/firefly-aerospace-tries-to-nail-perfect-moon-landing-overnight/?

Private lunar lander Blue Ghost aces moon touchdown with a special delivery for NASA

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A private lunar lander carrying a drill, vacuum and other experiments for NASA touched down on the moon Sunday, the latest in a string of companies looking to kickstart business on Earth’s celestial neighbor ahead of astronaut missions.

https://apnews.com/article/nasa-firefly-aerospace-blue-ghost-moon-landing-07b00840da07441e1e24b48509458f3f?

Blue Ghost

An uncrewed spacecraft called Blue Ghost successfully landed on the moon Sunday, making Texas-based Firefly Aerospace only the second private-sector company ever to complete such a feat. The lunar lander touched down on the moon's near side around 3:30 a.m. ET and captured stunning footage during its descent. In February 2023, another Texas-based space company, Intuitive Machines, became the first private-sector company to soft-land a vehicle on the moon, but broadly speaking, about half of all lunar landing attempts have ended in failure. Blue Ghost is part of a privately owned fleet helping NASA in its aim to return astronauts to the moon later this decade.

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Incredible image

NASA just released a new photo that captures the sound barrier being broken as America’s first civil supersonic jet completed its second flight at speeds exceeding Mach 1. Take a look.   SpaceX scrubs Monday Starship launch attempt 2 months after explosive test flight The last time SpaceX launched its Starship and Super Heavy rocket, the upper stage disintegrated spectacularly over the Atlantic. Two months later, SpaceX is set to try again today with less explosive results. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/03/03/spacex-set-for-starship-launch-2-months-after-explosive-test-flight/? SpaceX behind secretive $1.8 billion Space Coast investment; wants Starship launch by year-end Lifting the veil on a clandestine but highly anticipated expansion, SpaceX announced its plans to launch its powerful Starship from Kennedy Space Center later this year while building out more than $1.8 billion in infrastructure in Florida to support two launch sites. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/03/03/spacex-announces-plans-to-launch-starship-from-florida-this-year/?

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SpaceX

SpaceX on Monday called off its eighth test flight of Starship, the most powerful rocket ever built. The company did not share what, exactly, the issues were that led engineers to wave off the launch attempt. SpaceX founder Elon Musk posted on X that there were "too many question marks about this flight," adding that it would be best to "try again in a day or two." During the last Starship test run in January, the spacecraft exploded over the Caribbean and littered populated islands with debris. Key objectives for Starship's eighth flight test, when it launches, will include attempts to reignite a Starship engine in space and deploy a batch of mock satellites.

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Watch: Firefly Aerospace’s historic landing of Blue Ghost on the moon

Firefly Aerospace released video Tuesday showing the historic touchdown of its Blue Ghost lunar lander.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/03/04/watch-firefly-aerospaces-historic-landing-of-blue-ghost-on-the-moon/?

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Tipped again: Commercial lander on the moon but not upright

Commercial company Intuitive Machines has had some luck getting its lunar landers to the surface of the moon, but hasn’t had any luck keeping them upright.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/03/06/another-moon-landing-on-tap-today-this-time-at-the-south-pole/?

Another SpaceX Starship lost during test flight despite successful booster catch

SpaceX lost contact again in its latest test flight of the Starship and Super Heavy rocket from Texas, leading to the dramatic in-flight destruction of the Starship and grounding planes at several Florida airports, including Orlando International.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/03/06/spacex-retries-for-starship-launch-2-months-after-explosive-test-flight/?

SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft explodes midflight for a second time, disrupting Florida air traffic

A SpaceX Starship spacecraft, the upper portion of the most powerful launch system ever built, exploded during its eighth test flight Thursday, disrupting air traffic and marking the second consecutive failure for the vehicle this year.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/06/science/starship-launch-test-flight-8/index.html?

Flights briefly grounded at Orlando International Airport shortly after SpaceX mishap

Flights at Orlando International Airport were briefly grounded Thursday shortly after a failed SpaceX launch.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/03/06/flights-briefly-grounded-at-orlando-international-airport-shortly-after-spacex-mishap/?

Intuitive Machines declares moon mission done — lander on side, batteries dead

Intuitive Machines on Friday declared an early end to its Athena moon mission after the lander touched down sideways a day earlier.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/03/07/intuitive-machines-confirms-lander-on-its-side-batteries-dead/?

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🚀 In photos: SpaceX explosion

Debris from an exploded SpaceX Starship rocket streaks through the sky over Big Sampson Kay, Bahamas, last night. Photo: @_ericloosen_ via Reuters SpaceX's massive Starship rocket exploded minutes after it launched from Texas last night — causing flight delays and setting up stunning images of flaming debris over the U.S. and the Caribbean, Axios' Sareen Habeshian writes. Why it matters: It's the second consecutive Starship test flight from Elon Musk's space technology company to end with destruction. Another such launch resulted in an explosion nearly two months ago. Debris streaks through the sky over Hog Cay, Bahamas, after SpaceX's Starship spacecraft tumbled and exploded in space. Screengrab from X video: @GeneDoctorB via Reuters SpaceX caught the first-stage booster back at the pad with giant mechanical arms, but engines on the spacecraft on top started shutting down as it streaked eastward for what was supposed to be a controlled entry over the Indian Ocean. Contact was lost as the spacecraft went into an out-of-control spin.

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SpaceX launch explosion

SpaceX is facing another setback after its Starship spacecraft exploded shortly after liftoff on Thursday. Video shows debris lighting up the sky over the Caribbean as the uncrewed vehicle burst into flames during its eighth test flight — marking the second failure in just six weeks. The company shared an update with a few details, saying the explosion was caused by an "energetic event." The blast prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to temporarily halt flights into Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach and Orlando airports for "falling space debris." The FAA is also requiring SpaceX to perform a mishap investigation into the loss of the Starship vehicle.

 

SpaceX’s latest Starship test flight ends with another explosion

Nearly two months after an explosion sent flaming debris raining down on the Turks and Caicos, SpaceX launched another mammoth Starship rocket on Thursday, but lost contact minutes into the test flight as the spacecraft came tumbling down and broke apart.

https://apnews.com/article/spacex-starship-elon-musk-0c260a324f597a172300315c6486b9df?

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With stuck Boeing Starliner astronauts waiting, SpaceX Crew-10 arrives to KSC

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — The return to Earth of Boeing’s Starliner astronauts stuck on the International Space Station inched closer as their replacements arrived to Florida for their relief flight next week.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/03/07/with-stuck-boeing-starliner-astronauts-waiting-spacex-crew-10-arrives-to-ksc/?

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NASA, partners push to speed up launch of Artemis II

Program’s pace, expense are issues as Trump administration’s enthusiasm may be shifting to Mars

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/03/09/nasa-partners-push-to-speed-up-launch-of-artemis-ii/?

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NASA delay

NASA’s two-for-one launch of its newest space telescope, SPHEREx — designed to seek out the key ingredients for life in the Milky Way — alongside a sun-focused mission called PUNCH is facing another delay. Both missions were expected to lift off together aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket late Monday from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. But NASA and SpaceX decided to stand down due to unfavorable weather conditions, the space agency said. The launch could be rescheduled sometime before the end of April. Although the missions have entirely different goals, launching PUNCH as a secondary rideshare along with SPHEREx helps get “more science into space for less cost,” said Dr. Nicky Fox, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. Both groundbreaking missions promise to reveal previously unseen and unknown aspects of our solar system and galaxy.

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Relativity Space names new CEO during update on Space Coast-bound rocket

Relativity Space, the 3D-printed rocket company that managed one launch from Cape Canaveral in 2023, announced Monday it was changing CEOs during an update on its in-the-works replacement rocket.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/03/11/relativity-space-names-new-ceo-during-update-on-space-coast-bound-rocket/?

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SpaceX scrubs Crew-10 launch attempt delaying trip to the space station

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — The astronauts left behind on the International Space Station when NASA sent the Boeing Starliner home are expected to return to Earth in the coming days, but will have to wait at least two more days.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/03/12/spacex-launch-sets-up-long-delayed-trip-home-for-boeing-starliner-astronauts/?

 

🚀 A space race to the bottom. The same week that NASA okayed roughly $300 million in new contracts with Elon Musk’s SpaceX, the agency began terminating scientists and closing offices. A Lever investigation last month found that since the inauguration, Musk’s rocket company has earned roughly $2 million daily from federal contracts.

ps:"Conflict of Interest" come to mind here?????

 

NASA’s newest space telescope blasts off to map the entire sky and millions of galaxies

NASA’s newest space telescope rocketed into orbit Tuesday to map the entire sky like never before — a sweeping look at hundreds of millions of galaxies and their shared cosmic glow since the beginning of time.

https://apnews.com/article/nasa-space-telescope-spherex-9ee1c0aebd9ae961151b8783a3c8b612?

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United Launch Alliance waits on Space Force to certify Vulcan

Despite not having launched anything in more than five months, United Launch Alliance still expects to fly around 12 missions this year. But it’s still waiting on the Space Force to certify its new Vulcan rocket for national security launches.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/03/13/united-launch-alliance-waits-on-space-force-to-certify-vulcan/?

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SpaceX launches Crew-10 to space station as Starliner astronauts wait

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — A SpaceX Falcon 9 surged up through a fading blue sky just before sunset Friday to send a crew on its way to the International Space Station, where two NASA astronauts who flew up last summer on Boeing’s Starliner have been waiting for a ride home.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/03/14/spacex-to-try-again-to-launch-crew-10-to-space-station-as-starliner-astronauts-wait/?

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SpaceX launches Crew-10 to space station as Starliner astronauts wait

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — A SpaceX Falcon 9 surged up through a fading blue sky just before sunset Friday to send a crew on its way to the International Space Station, where two NASA astronauts who flew up last summer on Boeing’s Starliner have been waiting for a ride home.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/03/14/spacex-to-try-again-to-launch-crew-10-to-space-station-as-starliner-astronauts-wait/?

Pictures: SpaceX Crew-10 launches from Kennedy Space Center

The SpaceX Crew-10 mission launched from Kennedy Space Center on Friday sending a replacement crew to the International Space Station.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/03/14/pictures-spacex-crew-10-launches-from-kennedy-space-center/?

Crew lifts off on SpaceX mission to replace stuck Nasa astronauts

Falcon 9 rocket takes off on journey to replace duo who have been at International Space Station since June

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/mar/14/spacex-nasa-mission-international-space-station?

SpaceX Crew-10 docks with space station, setting up Starliner astronauts return

The SpaceX Crew Dragon Endurance docked with the International Space Station just after midnight Sunday,  beginning the countdown for the return of a pair of Boeing Starliner astronauts who have been on board the station since last summer.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/03/15/spacex-crew-10-near-space-station-docking-setting-up-starliner-astronauts-return/?

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🚀 SpaceX rescue

Don Pettit (blue) hugs Kirill Peskov (red) as astronauts greet each other today after a SpaceX capsule docked with the International Space Station. Photo: NASA via AP A SpaceX capsule delivered four astronauts to the International Space Station early this morning in a NASA crew-swap mission that will allow a pair of stuck astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, to return home after nine months on the orbiting lab. (Reuters)

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Boeing Starliner astronauts to return home with SpaceX Crew-9 on Tuesday

NASA bumped up the return-home plans for a pair of astronauts who were left behind by Boeing’s Starliner on the International Space Station last year.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/03/17/boeing-starliner-astronauts-to-return-home-with-spacex-crew-9-on-tuesday/?

 

Astronauts return

Two NASA astronauts, whose roughly week-long mission turned into a 286-day stay on the International Space Station, are finally returning to Earth. Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore became stuck in space when their Boeing Starliner spacecraft malfunctioned last year. In addition to conducting spacewalks, carrying out maintenance on the station and setting records, the pair have maintained a positive perspective about the whole experience. “I think just the fact that we’re living up here in this very unique place gives you an amazing perspective — not only (with the view) out the window, obviously, but also just on how to solve problems, and I don’t want to lose that spark of inspiration,” Williams said. They are expected to splashdown off the coast of Florida this afternoon.