WATCH LIVE: NASA honors former astronauts with Congressional Space Medal of Honor
Former NASA astronauts Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken will be awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor for bravery in NASAโs SpaceX Demonstration Mission-2 (Demo-2) to the International Space Station in 2020.
This is why the Artemis launch director had her tie cut with scissors after the rocketโs liftoff
Artemis launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson has made history before. She cemented her spot in space history as NASAโs first female launch director. Now sheโs added to her story by leading the first test flight of the agencyโs Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft.
Celebratory social posts launched after liftoff of Artemis mission
When NASA launched the Artemis I mission early Wednesday morning, it was something people had waited weeks, months, years, and even decades to see happen. The flight is unmanned, but it marks a milestone in the work being done to return humans to the moon for the first time since the Apollo missions.
NASA completes engine test firing of moon rocket on 2nd try
With this critical test finally finished, NASA now will send the rocket segment to Kennedy Space Center for launch preparations. (NASA via AP)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. โ NASA completed an engine test firing of its moon rocket Thursday, after the first attempt in January ended prematurely. This time, the four main engines of the rocketโs core stage remained ignited for the full eight minutes. John Honeycutt, NASA's program manager for the Space Launch System or SLS rocket, said everything seemed to go well in Thursday's test firing. The SLS rocket will send an empty Orion capsule to the moon and back.
35 years since Challenger launch disaster: โNever forgottenโ
Barely 100 people โ all masked and seated or standing far apart โ gathered in front of Kennedy Space Centerโs Space Mirror Memorial. The widow of Challenger commander Dick Scobee quietly observed the anniversary from her home in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In a recent interview, June Scobee Rodgers said the presence of teacher Christa McAuliffe on the flight added to the crewโs lasting legacy. Scobee Rodgers helped establish the Challenger Center for Space Science Education in the wake of the accident, along with the other Challenger families. This year's observance focused on the Challenger crew โ McAuliffe, Scobee, Michael Smith, Judith Resnik, Ellison Onizuka, Ronald McNair and Gregory Jarvis.
First woman, next man on moon will come from these NASA 18
The first woman and next man on the moon will come from this elite group. Vice President Mike Pence introduced the astronauts Wednesday at the close of his final meeting as chairman of the National Space Council. The space agency is aiming for a moon landing by 2024, although the chances of that happening are growing increasingly dim. Half of the NASA astronauts have spaceflight experience. โThe history is awesome, but weโre here to look toward the future,โ Acaba told reporters after the announcement.
First woman, next man on moon will come from these NASA 18
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. โ NASA has named the 18 astronauts โ half of them women โ who will train for its Artemis moon-landing program. The first woman and next man on the moon will come from this elite group. Half of the NASA astronauts have spaceflight experience. Two are at the International Space Station right now: Kate Rubins and Victor Glover. The other experienced members on the list include Kjell Lindgren, Anne McClain and Scott Tingle, all former space station residents.
WATCH: NASA, SpaceX launch CRS-21 Dragon cargo spacecraft to International Space Station
The Dragon โ packed with Christmas treats and presents โ should reach the space station on Monday, joining the Dragon that delivered four astronauts last month. โDragons everywhere you look,โ said Kenny Todd, NASAโs deputy space station program manager. With NASAโs commercial crew program officially under way, SpaceX expects to always have at least one Dragon capsule at the space station. I fear it might mess up my own Christmas,โ Todd said late last week. This is SpaceXโs 21st station supply run for NASA since 2012.
Double Dragons: SpaceX launches space station supplies
The Dragon โ packed with Christmas treats and presents โ should reach the space station on Monday, joining the Dragon that delivered four astronauts last month. โDragons everywhere you look,โ said Kenny Todd, NASAโs deputy space station program manager. With NASAโs commercial crew program officially under way, SpaceX expects to always have at least one Dragon capsule at the space station. The station crew watched a live broadcast of the launch, from 250 miles (400 kilometers) up. This updated cargo-carrying model โ as large as the SpaceX crew capsule โ will dock to the orbiting lab by itself.
SpaceX capsule with 4 astronauts aboard arrives at International Space Station
In this frame grab from NASA TV, the SpaceX Dragon is seen after docking at the International Space Station, late Monday, Nov. 16, 2020. (NASA TV via AP)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. โ SpaceXโs newly launched capsule with four astronauts arrived Monday at the International Space Station, their new home until spring. The Dragon capsule pulled up and docked late Monday night, following a 27-hour, completely automated flight from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. โOh, what a good voice to hear,โ space station astronaut Kate Rubins called out when the Dragon's commander, Mike Hopkins, first made radio contact. As they prepared for the space station linkup, the Dragon crew beamed down live window views of New Zealand and a brilliant blue, cloud-streaked Pacific 250 miles below.
SpaceX flying ex-football players, flight controller, Scout
The three Americans and one Japanese should reach the International Space Station late Monday for a five- to six-month stay, following Sunday's liftoff from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. A brief look at each:โCrew commander Mike Hopkins, 51, is an Air Force colonel and former space station resident who grew up on a hog and cattle farm in Missouri. He played football for the University of Illinois and, before becoming an astronaut in 2009, worked at the Pentagon. โShannon Walker, 55, a Houston-born-and-raised physicist, also has lived before on the space station. She worked as a flight controller at NASAโs Johnson Space Center and then behind the scenes in the space station program, before becoming an astronaut in 2004.
SpaceX launches 2nd crew, regular station crew flights begin
It is due to reach the space station late Monday and remain there until spring. Even the two astronauts on the first SpaceX crew flight stayed behind at Johnson Space Center in Houston. โI didnโt start breathing until about a minute after it took off,โ Pence said during a stop at SpaceX Launch Control to congratulate the workers. The first-stage booster is expected to be recycled by SpaceX for the next crew launch. NASA turned to private companies to haul cargo and crew to the space station, after the shuttle fleet retired in 2011.
SpaceX crew flight delayed, pushing launch to Sunday
(AP) โ SpaceX delayed its second astronaut flight by a day because of high wind and weather conditions that could jeopardize the recovery and recycling of the rocket booster, pushing the launch to Sunday. โSo โElon Musk Tests Negative for Covidโ is an equally correct title,โ he tweeted. The upcoming crew flight comes just three months after the end of the test flight with Hurley and Bob Behnken, both NASA astronauts. NASA and SpaceX are especially eager to retrieve this first-stage booster; it will be used for the next crew launch. NASA turned over space station ferry trips to SpaceX and Boeing, which has yet to launch anyone, following the retirement of the shuttle fleet in 2011.
Arizona Senate race could impact confirmation of new justice
FILE - In this May 16, 2011, file photo, former NASA astronaut STS-134 commander Mark Kelly, front, waves a he leaves the Operations and Checkout Building with fellow crew members, including Mike Fincke, for a trip to Launch Pad 39-A, and a planned liftoff on the space shuttle Endeavour at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. A Kelly victory would shrink the GOP's Senate majority at a crucial moment and complicate the path to confirmation for President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File)
Space Curious: The origin story of the International Space Station
That means most college students today have never known a day without an astronaut orbiting above them on the International Space Station. The International Space Station, or ISS, is just shy of the same length as an American football field and the largest spacecraft ever built. โI felt as an International Space Station, we needed to enter as an international crew.โAdCabana and Krikalev went into the ISS at the same time. โSergei and I enter side by side, so there was no first person to enter the International Space Station,โ Cabana said. Hosted by space reporter Emilee Speck, each episode is designed to inspire everyone, from the space curious to the space fanatics.
On a space high? Tune in to this outer space playlist
Letโs be serious, weโre all in a space mood after watching NASA astronauts launch from Kennedy Space Center last month. Whether youโre taking your shuttle out for a Sunday drive, taking a road trip, or blasting off to the stars -- a playlist is absolutely necessary to make the trip memorable. NASA Astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley made a playlist for their 3-mile ride to Launch Complex 39A before liftoff. Youโll hear melodies like โSpace Oddityโ, โRocket Manโ as well as โA Sky Full of Starsโ made famous by Coldplay. Buckle up and don your space suit -- or whatever NASA apparel you have close by, as we dive into our space jams.
How to watch the historic astronaut launch with your children: Thereโs an invaluable lesson here
If it goes off as planned, this will mark the first mission involving astronauts from U.S. soil since 2011. Still, NASA astronaut Bob Behnken has said he and Doug Hurley are โreally comfortableโ with the risks. So youโre making educated guesses, at best.โIt seems thereโs just more uncharted territory when it comes to space travel. โThe first astronauts really started out as test pilots,โ Garfinkle said. But assuming this launch goes well, โIt would be great for kids to see a successful, triumphant moment of science,โ Fink said.
Here's how you can relive the Apollo 11 launch
The Visitor Complex will host the Apollo 11 Launch Flashback Event on July 16 beginning at 7:30 a.m. Special Apollo guests will address the audience as the 9:32 a.m. launch time approaches. To commemorate the experience, patrons will receive a Pepsi hand fan, Apollo 11 trading cards, a 50th anniversary booklet, an exclusive Moon Pie product, an Apollo lanyard and badge and a collectible pin. Apollo Moon Landing Astronaut Neil Armstrong did something no one had ever done before. A $300 package includes admission to the Visitor Complex and other perks.