NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken have successfully arrived at the International Space Station, approximately 19-hours after launching from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This mission marks also the first private company to launch astronauts for NASA. The Crew Dragon capsule docked with the station at 10:17 a.m. EST while transiting over the border of northern China and Mongolia. Read more for two videos and additional information.
SpaceX and NASA’s first launch attempt was canceled due to weather, and today, storms loomed as well with the odds of acceptable conditions at 50-50 for the 3:22 p.m. liftoff of the 270-foot Falcon 9. Thankfully, everything is on schedule, making this the first launch of astronauts – Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken – into orbit by a private company. Read more for the live feed and additional information.
SpaceX was prepping its latest Starship prototype vehicle, called Serial No. 4 or SN4, for a static fire test in Texas. When it started, the Raptor engine fired nominally for a couple of seconds at 1:47pm local time and then shut down, but approximately 1-minute later, an uncontrolled gaseous leak caused the spacecraft to explode. Read more for a video and additional information.
NASA and SpaceX have determined that the weather is permittable to launch two astronauts to the International Space Station, marking the first crewed mission for Elon Musk’s company as well as the first launch of NASA astronauts – Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley – from American soil since the retirement of the space shuttle program in 2011. Read more for the livestream and additional information.
Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley have completed a countdown dress rehearsal of the launch day events. The two are set to launch aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket and fly to the International Space Station, marking the first crewed mission for the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Read more for two videos and additional information.
NASA has just cleared the SpaceX Demo-2 test flight, with astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley, for launch to the International Space Station on May 27 at 4:33 p.m. EDT from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It is going to be SpaceX’s final test flight of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, providing data on the performance of the Falcon 9 rocket, Crew Dragon spacecraft and ground systems, as well as in-orbit, docking and landing operations. Read more for a video and additional information.
Hollywood mega star Tom Cruise has teamed up with Elon Musk’s SpaceX and NASA to develop a feature-length action adventure film set and shot in outer space. This was confirmed by NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine confirmed on May 5th and that most, if not all, the scenes will be film aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Read more for two videos, including an in-depth tour of the ISS.
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announced yesterday three private companies that will develop, build and fly lunar landers, with the goal of returning astronauts to the moon in 2024 and eventually, Mars. They are: SpaceX in Hawthorne, California, led by Elon Musk; Blue Origin in Kent, Washington, founded by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos; and Dynetics, a Huntsville, Alabama subsidiary of Leidos. The contracts for the initial 10-month period total $967 million. Read more for two videos and additional information.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX successfully launched an additional 60 Starlink satellites into orbit today (April 22nd) and made a perfect rocket landing at sea to complete the mission. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 3:30 p.m. EST from Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center here, marking the 84th Falcon 9 flight. Read more for the launch video and additional information.
Your eyes aren’t playing tricks, these may appear to be UFOs dancing through the sky at first glance, but rest assured, these are all known objects. Elon Musk’s 60 SpaceX Starlink satellites, launched into space earlier this year, regularly appear in a line crossing the night sky. Stargazers have been able to use apps and websites to check when they can spot the display. Read more for a video and additional information.