AP News reports, “A newly launched supply ship has run into engine trouble that is preventing it from reaching the International Space Station. Northrop Grumman’s capsule rocketed into orbit Sunday from Florida aboard SpaceX. But less than two days later, the capsule’s main engine shut down prematurely while trying to boost its orbit. The Cygnus capsule was supposed to dock Wednesday, delivering more than 11,000 pounds (5,000 kilograms) of cargo. But NASA said everything is on hold while flight controllers consider an alternate plan.”
Full Story (AP News)
Tag: Astronautics
Former Shuttle Commander Pam Melroy Joins Venus Aerospace After Groundbreaking RDRE Flight
SPACE reports former NASA deputy chief and shuttle commander Pam Melroy has joined Venus Aerospace’s board after its groundbreaking RDRE flight, bringing her “decades of experience” to help scale the startup’s propulsion technology.
Full Story (SPACE)
Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha Rocket Cleared to Fly Again
SPACE reports, “The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has cleared Firefly Aerospace to resume launches of its Alpha rocket. The approval follows a months-long review of the mission in April, during which the rocket’s first stage broke apart moments after separation and compromised the vehicle’s second stage.”
Full Story (SPACE)
SpaceX Launches Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL on its First Mission
SPACE reports, “SpaceX launched Northrop Grumman’s new “Cygnus XL” cargo ship on its debut mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday evening (Sept. 14). A Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Cygnus freighter lifted off from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 6:11 p.m. EDT (2211 GMT).” NG-23’s Cygnus XL “is scheduled to arrive at the ISS on Wednesday (Sept. 17) at 6:35 a.m. EDT (1035 GMT).”
Full Story (SPACE)
Video
A SpaceX Falcon 9 launches CRS NG-23 to the ISS. (Launch occurs at the 58:58 mark)
NASASpaceflight; YouTube
Protecting U.S. Leadership in Space Commerce: Funding at Risk
FROM THE INSTITUTE
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has cut the FY25 spend plan for the Office of Space Commerce (OSC) to $37 million, down from $65 million. This represents a 47% budget reduction from FY24 and eliminates the two-year funding authority Congress provided for OSC to purchase commercial space situational awareness (SSA) data.
Full Story (Aerospace America)
Study Suggests Solar Flares Are Far Hotter Than Thought
SPACE reports new research shows that solar flares are “six times hotter than earlier estimates” and calls for updated sun models that could improve space weather forecasting.
Full Story (SPACE)
SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches Space Development Agency’s First Operational Satellites
Defense News reports, “The Space Development Agency launched its initial batch of operational satellites on Wednesday, kicking off a 10-month campaign to deliver more than 150 satellites to low Earth orbit. The 21 satellites, all built by York Space Systems, flew on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.”
Full Story (Defense News)
SpaceX Aims to Launch NASA’s IMAP Mission to Map Boundaries of Our Solar System on Sept. 23
SPACE reports a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch on Sept. 23 will send three spacecraft a million miles from Earth to map the heliosphere and expand our understanding of space weather and atmospheric science. “A Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off from Launch Complex-39A, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Sept. 23 at 7:32 a.m. EDT.”
Full Story (SPACE)
SPHEREx Mission: Mapping the Universe in Unprecedented Detail
From the Institute
In the vast expanse of space, a revolutionary observatory no larger than a small car is quietly transforming our understanding of the cosmos. SPHEREx, NASA’s Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer, represents a remarkable achievement in astronomical engineering—a mission that delivers extraordinary science from a deceptively modest package.
Full Story (Aerospace America)
Juno Spacecraft Discovers Auroral ‘Footprints’ of Jupiter’s Moon Callisto
SPACE reports, “In a landmark observation by a team of international researchers, NASA’s Juno spacecraft has, for the first time, clearly detected the auroras of Jupiter’s moon Callisto. This discovery completes the set of auroral signatures we have from all four Galilean moons: Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.”
Full Story (SPACE)