Soyuz Commander Max Suraev, NASA Flight Engineer Jeff Williams and spaceflight participant Guy Laliberte launched aboard the Soyuz TMA-16 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 2:14 am (Central). Meanwhile, NASA controllers have been looking into Soyuz “Safe Haven” procedures, in the event of late conjunction threats to the Station.
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As the Constellation Program (CxP) prepares for the test flight of Ares I-X – the rocket modelled on the vehicle that will launch Orion sometime in the next decade – in less than one month, a design review of the Low Impact Docking System (LIDS) that Orion will use to dock with the International Space [...]
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Atlantis is in the final stages of processing inside her Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF), ahead of a targeted rollover to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) on October 6. One item remains under evaluation, specifically a fleet-wide issue with actuators on the Fill And Drain Valves. A problem with an actuator on Atlantis was found after [...]
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With just three weeks to go until rollout to Pad 39B, Ares I-X is in the final series of checks inside the Vehicle Assembly Building’s High Bay 3. Numerous engineering challenges are successfully being worked through – and the vehicle remains on track for an October 27 launch date. Meanwhile, the SD HLLV (Shuttle Derived [...]
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The United Launch Alliance (ULA) launch of a Delta II rocket – carrying two STSS-Demo satellites for the US Missile Defense – has finally beaten the weather and launched at 8:20am local time from Cape Canaveral. Unless further launches are purchased, this will be the penultimate launch of a Delta II from Cape Canaveral.
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Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne engineers have found the application of “tacky tape” – used to seal the throat plugs on the Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSME) since the 1990s – was the initial root cause of 340 leaks on Endeavour’s number one engine during STS-127′s ascent. Meanwhile, three SSMEs are scheduled to be installed on [...]
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As part of the on going effort within the Constellation Program to finalize the design of the Crew Exploration Vehicle’s (CEV’s) Orion capsule, a CEV Parachute Assembly System (CPAS) review was held over the summer to document changes to the parachute system that will reduce the capsule’s speed during descent and splashdown operations.
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Discovery has returned to her home port of the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on top of one of NASA’s Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA). The two day cross country journey involved two stops in Texas, and an overnight stay in Louisiana. She joins her two sisters who are deep in processing for the next two missions, [...]
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Discovery’s cross country journey back to Florida has begun its final leg , following refueling stops at Amarillo and Fort Worth, Texas, before arriving at Barksdale, Louisiana for an overnight stay. The superstar orbiter is expected to make it back to her home base of the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on Monday afternoon, as she rides on top of the converted [...]
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The Ares I-X test vehicle is continuing to undergo the business end of processing inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) – which includes the installation of its ordnance over the weekend. Meanwhile, Shuttle and Constellation managers are debating its October 31 launch date, due to the proximity of Atlantis’ preparations for her STS-129 launch from [...]
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Space Shuttle Program (SSP) manager John Shannon has claimed that Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) leader Admiral Joseph W. Dyer’s opposition to an extension of the shuttle manifest, due to it “becoming more risky”, is not an accurate reflection of the program’s current environment. This led to Mr Shannon addressing his workforce to inform them [...]
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JAXA – the Japanese Space Agency – has successfully debuted their HTV (H-II Transfer Vehicle) on its maiden flight to the International Space Station (ISS), via a series of rendezvous demonstrations and a successful capture via the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS). The flight of the HTV has been classed as near-flawless during its [...]
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After nearly two years, orbiter Atlantis is set to make her return to the International Space Station (ISS) in November following her extremely successful flagship mission (STS-125) to repair the Hubble Space Telescope in May 2009. However, meetings have been taking place on Wednesday to discuss the target launch date due to a number of constraints.
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Discovery is on track for her weekend cross country trip back to the Kennedy Space Center, whereboth her sisters are deep in processing for their upcoming missions. Post flight evaluations into Discovery’s STS-128 mission will converge at the In Flight Anomaly Review (IFA) at the end of the month, though initial findings continue to point [...]
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Following her highly successful STS-128 mission, Discovery is undergoing smooth processing at the Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC), located in the grounds of Edwards Air Force Base, with hardly any items of interest noted during opening Thermal Protection System (TPS) evaluations – which in turn will aid an uninterrupted turnaround for a potential departure from [...]
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The United Launch Alliance (ULA) have created an expansive plan to utilize the Atlas and Delta Launch Vehicle families to provide the United States with an architecture that both reduces the gap and provides greater flexibility – when compared to NASA’s current Ares-based plans. ULA’s plans range from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) access, to the [...]
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With the weather failing to improve on the Florida coastline, Discovery has landed at the Edwards Air Force Base (EAFB) in California – where she will undergo initial deservicing prior to a ferry trip back to the Kennedy Space Center on the back of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA). The deorbit burn took place at [...]
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After 13-days on orbit and a spectacularly successful logistics mission to boost the science capability of the International Space Station (ISS), Discovery and her seven member crew will spend an extra day on orbit, as unacceptable weather conditions over the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) failed to clear in time for both of the landing opportunities [...]
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Japan space agency JAXA has successfully launched the HTV (H-II Transfer Vehicle) on its debut flight to the International Space Station (ISS). The HTV launched on schedule from Tanegashima Space Center on an H-IIB vehicle – into an initial 200 km x 300 km orbit – at 02:01 local time on Friday (13:01 on Thursday Eastern time).
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Discovery is hoping she’s spending her final full day in space, with a targeted return to the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on Thursday. As part of the entry preparations, the main systems required for the return home have been checked out on Flight Day 13, with no issues found. Discovery’s Thermal Protection System (TPS) is [...]
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