SPACE reports that SpaceX has pushed the launch of the historic Polaris Dawn astronaut mission back 24 hours, to Wednesday morning (Aug. 28), due to a helium leak. “’Teams are taking a closer look at a ground-side helium leak on the Quick Disconnect umbilical. Falcon and Dragon remain healthy and the crew continues to be ready for their multi-day mission to low Earth orbit,’ SpaceX announced in an X post on Monday evening (Aug. 26).”
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Tag: 2024
NASA Confirms Boeing Starliner Astronauts Will Return Home on SpaceX Dragon in 2025
SPACE reports that NASA decided Saturday (Aug. 24) to return its two Boeing Starliner astronauts to Earth in February 2025. Their Starliner capsule will come back empty over thruster concerns. “NASA and Boeing jointly decided that Williams and Wilmore will not head back to Earth aboard the same Starliner capsule that brought them to the ISS. Rather, they will climb aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule for their descent to our planet, a vessel dedicated to the Crew-9 mission set to launch in September that will be modified to accommodate the Starliner astronauts.”
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Decision on Boeing Starliner Crew’s Path Home Expected Saturday Per NASA
Reuters reports, “NASA said on Thursday it expects to announce on Saturday its decision on whether the two astronauts who rode Boeing’s glitchy Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station will need a SpaceX vehicle to return to Earth.”
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ESA’s JUICE Jupiter Probe Glides Past Moon in Historic Flyby
Scientific American reports, “Europe’s JUICE Jupiter probe swung by the moon for a ‘gravity assist’ on Monday (Aug. 19), and it snapped some photos to commemorate the historic encounter. JUICE (short for Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer) came within a mere 465 miles (750 kilometers) of the lunar surface on Monday evening, on the first leg of an unprecedented gravity-assist doubleheader.”
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SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches 22 Starlink Satellites from Cape Canaveral
Spaceflight Now reports SpaceX has launched 22 more Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit. Liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station took place “at 9:20 a.m. EDT (1320 UTC), which was the end of a four-hour launch window. The Starlink 10-5 mission was the 57th launch of the internet enabling satellites so far in 2024.”
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Video
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 22 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral
(Spaceflight Now; YouTube)
Russian Progress 89 Cargo Ship Delivers Supplies to Stranded Astronauts
BBC News reports, “An uncrewed Russian cargo ship successfully docked at the International Space Station early Saturday (Aug. 17) to deliver tons of fresh gear, food and other vital supplies. The cargo ship will “remain docked for approximately six months before departing for re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere to dispose of trash.”
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Gulfstream Aerospace Begins G400 Flight-test Program
Aviation International News reports, “Gulfstream has officially begun the flight test program for its G400, successfully completing its first flight on August 15. The large-cabin twinjet departed Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (KSAV) at 9:04 a.m. and returned just under three hours later having reached a top speed of Mach 0.85 and an altitude of 41,000 feet. The flight was conducted using the manufacturer’s supply of blended sustainable aviation fuel.”
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SpaceX Launches Two Earth-imaging Satellites to Orbit
SPACE reports, “SpaceX launched two Earth-imaging satellites today (Aug. 15), continuing to build out the WorldView Legion constellation for Maxar. A Falcon 9 rocket carrying the WorldView Legion 3 and 4 satellites lifted off today from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 9:00 a.m. EDT (1300 GMT).”
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Intuitive Machines to Lead Coalition in Pursuit of Taking Over NASA’s VIPER Lunar Rover
Space News reports, “Intuitive Machines says it is organizing a coalition of organizations that will offer to take over a NASA lunar rover mission, launching it on one of the company’s landers. In an Aug. 13 earnings call, Intuitive Machines executives said they were planning to respond to a request for information (RFI). … Steve Altemus, chief executive of Intuitive Machines, said on the call that his company, which also responded to an earlier call for ‘expressions of interest’ from NASA regarding VIPER, is working with other companies, universities and international partners on responding to NASA’s RFI.”
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Piper M700 Cleared for Unpaved Field Operations by FAA
Flying Magazine reports, “Piper Aircraft’s M700 Fury has received FAA approval for unpaved field operations, the company announced Monday. According to Piper, the M700 Fury, which was certified in March, underwent ‘rigorous testing for unpaved field certification.’”
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Video
Piper Introduces the M700 Fury
(Piper Aircraft, Inc.; YouTube)