Tag: closes

Astra’s NASA Mission Fails With Loss of Satellites

Reuters reported that Astra Space’s mission to send “tiny storm-monitoring NASA satellites to orbit” failed after a second-stage booster engine shut down 10 minutes after liftoff. The rocket was carrying two satellites designed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lincoln Laboratory to “measure moisture and precipitation in tropical storm systems,” which were set to be the first batch of a six-satellite constellation managed by NASA. NASA Science Mission Directorate Associate Administrator Thomas Zurbuchen tweeted that the mission “offered a great opportunity for new science and launch capabilities.”
More Info (Reuters)
 
 
 

 

 Video

Astra rocket launches on mission to deliver NASA TROPICS satellites
(VideoFromSpace via YouTube)

Starliner Closes Hatch; Astronauts Prepare Test Vehicle for Return to Earth Wednesday

The Orlando (FL) Sentinel reports that The Boeing Company’s Starliner successfully docked with the ISS on Friday, and its hatch opened on Saturday. “Since then the crew has removed 500 pounds of cargo sent up, and then loaded it up again with 600 more pounds for the return to Earth. That includes three Nitrogen Oxygen Recharge System tanks, essential for supplying breathable air on station. They will be refurbished planetside for a future return to the station.”
Full Story (Orlando Sentinel – subscription publication);
More Info (SciTech Daily)

 

 
 
 

 Video

Boeing Starliner’s Hatch Closes in Preparation for Undocking from ISS
(Boeing via YouTube)