Space, NASA and Science News

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No decision yet if Boeing Starliner astronauts will fly home with SpaceX

NASA officials said Wednesday they are holding off the decision of whether to send two astronauts who flew up to the International Space Station on Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner home with the spacecraft or to wait for a ride home with SpaceX next year.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/08/14/no-decision-yet-if-boeing-starliner-astronauts-will-fly-home-with-spacex/?

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SpaceX launches Earth-observation satellites from Cape; landing brings sonic boom

SpaceX launched a set of commercial Earth-observation satellites from Cape Canaveral this morning with the booster making a land recovery that brought a sonic boom to some across Central Florida.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/08/15/spacex-launch-from-space-coast-this-morning-could-bring-sonic-boom/?

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Mars-bound payload on way to Florida for 1st launch of Blue Origin New Glenn

The Mars-bound twin spacecraft for NASA’s ESCAPADE mission were packed up in California to be shipped out to Florida this week ahead of what would be the first ever launch of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket from Cape Canaveral.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/08/16/mars-bound-payload-on-way-to-florida-for-1st-launch-of-blue-origin-new-glenn/?

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Partnered with SpaceX, billionaire set for return spaceflight and historic spacewalk

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — Billionaire Jared Isaacman hasn’t been to space in 1,066 days. He has to wait at least seven more for his return, but this time he hopes to perform the first commercial spacewalk in history.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/08/19/partnered-with-spacex-billionaire-set-for-return-spaceflight-and-historic-spacewalk/?

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SpaceX rolls out new booster for Cape Canaveral launch

SpaceX launches lately have been pushing the record envelope for booster reflight, but a Starlink launch Tuesday morning rolled out a brand new first stage.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/08/20/spacex-set-for-starlink-launch-with-new-booster-this-morning/?

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Hyperactive star

An object spotted with the help of citizen scientists is moving so fast through the Milky Way that it could escape the gravity of the galaxy and reach intergalactic space. Experts think it’s probably a very low-mass star zooming along at a speed of about 1.3 million mph.

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NASA says Boeing Starliner decision may come Saturday

NASA said a decision could come as early as Saturday on when Boeing’s Starliner will come home from the International Space Station and whether its two astronauts will be on board.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/08/22/nasa-says-boeing-starliner-decision-may-come-saturday/?

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NASA to send Boeing Starliner astronauts home on SpaceX Crew Dragon

NASA is keeping its two astronauts who flew in Boeing’s Starliner to the International Space Station safe on board until next year to fly home on a SpaceX Crew Dragon.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/08/24/nasa-to-send-boeing-starliner-astronauts-home-on-spacex-crew-dragon/?

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How dangerous is Polaris Dawn spacewalk from SpaceX Crew Dragon?

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — Billionaire Jared Isaacman could make history for all the right reasons during his Polaris Dawn mission when the hatch opens on a SpaceX Crew Dragon and he ventures out into the vacuum of space.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/08/26/how-dangerous-is-polaris-dawn-spacewalk-from-spacex-crew-dragon/?

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SpaceX delays Polaris Dawn launch to early Wednesday

A helium leak on the launch pad Monday night forced SpaceX to hold off an overnight launch attempt of the Polaris Dawn mission with billionaire Jared Isaacman and three crewmates for at least one day.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/08/26/spacex-delays-polaris-dawn-launch-at-least-1-day/?

SpaceX launch

 

SpaceX will soon attempt a nail-biting, five-day trek into orbit with a crew of private astronauts traveling into Earth's radiation belts. No human has traveled so far into space or passed through the radiation environment since NASA's Apollo program. The four-person crew on the Polaris Dawn mission is also preparing for a high-risk spacewalk, making use of Extravehicular Activity, or EVA, suits that SpaceX developed in just 2 ½ years. If successful, the spacewalk, which could take place Friday, would mark the first time that civilians (or nongovernment astronauts) have carried out such an endeavor. The daring excursion is slated to take off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida between 3:38 a.m. and 7:09 a.m. ET on Wednesday — a 24-hour delay from the company's previous launch target due to a helium leak.

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Rogue worlds

Astronomers have spotted six celestial bodies within a cosmic cloud using the James Webb Space Telescope. The objects are slightly bigger than Jupiter, and the observations are shedding light on how stars and planets form across the universe.

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Fiery end to SpaceX booster on Canaveral launch as Polaris Dawn delayed from KSC

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — Billionaire Jared Isaacman watched the demise of a SpaceX booster that once took him to space on the same night his planned return trip on the Polaris Dawn mission faced more delays.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/08/28/spacex-delays-polaris-dawn-launch-at-least-1-day/

SpaceX launch delay

 

SpaceX has once again delayed the launch of its daring excursion into Earth's radiation belts. The mission, dubbed Polaris Dawn, was set to take off as soon as 3:38 a.m. ET today — but the company opted to delay takeoff because of unfavorable weather conditions for the crew's return to Earth. The mission aims to carry a four-person crew of civilians to record-setting heights for a regular orbit around Earth — and to conduct the first commercial spacewalk. This latest delay comes after a planned Tuesday morning launch attempt from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida was scrubbed because of issues with ground equipment at the launchpad. The crew of civilians has been in quarantine awaiting their launch. A new date has not yet been set.

 

FAA grounds Falcon 9 after fiery end to SpaceX booster; Polaris Dawn could face further delays

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — The Federal Aviation Administration grounded SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket Wednesday after an early morning launch ended with the fiery demise of its first-stage booster.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/08/28/spacex-delays-polaris-dawn-launch-at-least-1-day/?

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UF professor launches to space aboard Blue Origin New Shepard on mission for NASA

University of Florida horticulture science professor Rob Ferl on Thursday became the first NASA-sponsored customer to fly to space on board Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket, bringing along a plantlife experiment to study the effects of spaceflight on genes.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/08/29/uf-professor-to-fly-on-blue-origin-new-shepard-with-nasa-experiment/?

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Boeing Starliner

 

After spending 12 weeks docked to the International Space Station, Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is finally set to return home — empty. The troubled spacecraft will undock from the space station on September 6 at around 6 p.m. ET, and will spend about six hours maneuvering closer to home before landing near midnight in New Mexico’s White Sands Space Harbor. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who rode the Starliner to the ISS on June 5, will fly home on a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule no earlier than February.

 

NASA lines up return date for Boeing Starliner minus humans

A Butch- and Suni-less Boeing Starliner has been given a date to return to Earth by NASA.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/08/30/nasa-lines-up-return-date-for-boeing-starliner-minus-humans/?

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FAA lets SpaceX get back to launches, but Polaris Dawn awaits good weather

SpaceX got the OK to fly again from the Federal Aviation Administration and didn’t waste any time knocking out launches from both Florida and California early Saturday, but the crewed Polaris Dawn launch remains on hold because of weather.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/08/31/faa-lets-spacex-get-back-to-launches-but-polaris-dawn-awaits-good-weather/?

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Skywatch: Summer stars hanging in there with Saturn on the rise

This month, summer officially ends, but plenty of summer constellations are still playing on stage in our nightly celestial theater. As a bonus, sunsets are earlier, so your stargazing time is expanding! The autumnal equinox this year is on Sept. 22 at 12:44 Universal time. That’s when the sun shines directly over the Earth’s equator. Days and nights are nearly equal in length.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/09/01/skywatch-summer-stars-hanging-in-there-with-saturn-on-the-rise/?

NASA explains strange noise heard by astronaut in Boeing’s Starliner

There’s nothing to see here, or hear here, actually. That’s the message NASA gave after reports of a strange noise heard by astronaut Butch Wilmore emanating from Boeing’s Starliner docked to the International Space Station this weekend.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/09/02/nasa-explains-strange-noise-heard-by-astronaut-in-boeings-starliner/?

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Christa McAuliffe, still pioneering, is first woman with a statue on New Hampshire capitol grounds

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Decades after she was picked to be America’s first teacher in space, Christa McAuliffe is still a pioneer — this time as the first woman to be memorialized on the grounds of New Hampshire’s Statehouse, in the city where she taught high school.

https://apnews.com/article/christa-mcauliffe-statue-new-hampshire-challenger-5487cf9130e726ae7f01f55d9c1861ec?

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Audit warns costs for NASA’s new Artemis launcher could balloon to $2.7 billion

NASA’s second mobile launcher needed for future missions in the Artemis program is already years late and millions over budget, and NASA’s Office of the Inspector General warns it could get even worse.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/09/03/audit-warns-costs-for-nasas-artemis-launcher-could-balloon-to-2-7-billion/?

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Deep dive

Rocket scientists at NASA are developing underwater robots that will be able to go where humans can’t. They will venture beneath Antarctica’s giant ice shelves to help experts understand rising sea levels that pose a threat to coastal cities.

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Asteroid will strike Earth later today, astronomers say – but it should be fine

The Earth will be hit by a tiny asteroid today, astronomers have said.

https://www.newsbreak.com/the-independent-517119/3584046195487-asteroid-will-strike-earth-later-today-astronomers-say-but-it-should-be-fine?

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Weather clears for Starlink launch while Polaris Dawn remains in waiting pattern

The weather finally cleared for SpaceX to knock out a Starlink launch from Cape Canaveral on Thursday while the crew of Polaris Dawn still awaited the long-range forecast to be safe enough for their mission to fly.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/09/04/spacex-lines-up-starlink-launch-today-as-polaris-dawn-still-in-waiting-pattern/?

 

Starliner

 

After 12 weeks in space, Boeing's Starliner spacecraft is finally set to return home from the International Space Station today — without its two-person crew. The troubled spacecraft will undock from the orbiting laboratory around 6 p.m. ET, and it will spend about six hours maneuvering closer to home before landing around midnight in New Mexico. The astronauts who rode aboard Starliner to the space station on June 5, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, will remain on board the orbiting laboratory. NASA announced last month that experts were wary of gas leaks and issues with the Starliner capsule's propulsion system, leading the agency to determine the spacecraft is not safe enough to finish its mission with crew on board.

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Asteroid slams into Earth triggering stunning green 'fireball' above the Philippines — 8 hours after it was 1st spotted

A newly discovered asteroid has met a colorful and spectacular end above the Philippines, exploding in a bright green fireball that was visible for hundreds of miles. The space rock was only discovered earlier the same day, earning it a spot in an extremely exclusive club.

https://www.newsbreak.com/livescience-525075/3585358690372-asteroid-slams-into-earth-triggering-stunning-green-fireball-above-the-philippines-8-hours-after-it-was-1st-spotted?

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NASA delays Mars mission forcing Blue Origin to pivot plans for 1st New Glenn launch

NASA announced Friday it was forgoing the planned October launch of a pair of Mars-bound satellites on what was supposed to be the first launch of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket from Cape Canaveral.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/09/06/nasa-delays-mars-mission-forcing-blue-origin-to-pivot-plans-for-1st-new-glenn-launch/?

Boeing’s beleaguered Starliner makes crewless return to Earth

Boeing’s Starliner completed its Crew Flight Test without its crew undocking Friday evening from the International Space Station and making the trip back to Earth.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/09/06/boeings-beleaguered-starliner-set-for-crewless-trip-home-tonight/?

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SpaceX to try again to launch billionaire to space on Polaris Dawn spacewalk mission

Billionaire Jared Isaacman is slated to suit up again to try and make his second trip to space courtesy of SpaceX with an early Tuesday launch opportunity from Kennedy Space Center on the Polaris Dawn mission.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/09/09/spacex-to-try-again-to-launch-billionaire-to-space-on-polaris-dawn-spacewalk-mission/?

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SpaceX launches Polaris Dawn spacewalk mission taking billionaire to space for 2nd time

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — Billionaire Jared Isaacman is back in space, but this time he’s planning on taking a historic walk outside the spacecraft as SpaceX found a hole in the weather to get the Polaris Dawn mission off the ground early Tuesday.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/09/10/spacex-to-try-again-to-launch-billionaire-to-space-on-polaris-dawn-spacewalk-mission/

 

SpaceX Launch

 

SpaceX’s latest mission — a bold and risky trek into Earth’s Van Allen radiation belts by a four-person civilian crew who aim to conduct the first commercial spacewalk — has taken flight. The mission, dubbed Polaris Dawn, lifted off at 5:23 a.m. ET. The launch comes after several weather delays in late August and earlier this morning. Further complicating launch prospects was the fact that SpaceX needed to ensure there are calm waters and winds for the crew’s return. Timing is critical: The Polaris Dawn mission will have only enough life support for five or six days in space because carrying out a spacewalk will create a drain on oxygen supplies.

 

SpaceX launches Polaris Dawn spacewalk mission taking billionaire to space for 2nd time

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — Billionaire Jared Isaacman is back in space, but this time he’s planning on taking a historic walk outside the spacecraft as SpaceX found a hole in the weather to get the Polaris Dawn mission off the ground early Tuesday.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/09/10/spacex-to-try-again-to-launch-billionaire-to-space-on-polaris-dawn-spacewalk-mission/?