Spaceflight Now reports, “A historic mission took flight from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Monday night. Against the backdrop of an off-shore band of thunderstorms, four first-time astronauts soared off the pad at Launch Complex 39A onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and headed into a polar orbit. Malta resident Chun Wang funded the orbital polar expedition and flew alongside Norwegian cinematographer, Jannicke Mikkelsen; German arctic robotics researcher, Rabea Rogge; and Australian polar guide, Eric Philips.” Full Story (Spaceflight Now)
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Fram2 Astronauts Launch on Polar Orbit Mission(Launch occurs at 2:00:17)
(Spaceflight Now; YouTube)
Reuters reports that Stan Deal, The Boeing Company’s commercial aircraft business leader, said the company will increase 737 MAX production above the current rate of 31 jets per month “very soon” and is completing final submissions for certification of the 737 MAX 7 by the Federal Aviation Administration. Full Story (Reuters)
Space News reports that Blue Origin “launched its New Shepard suborbital vehicle on its first flight of the year March 31, carrying six people on a brief trip to space and back.” The rocket “lifted off from the company’s Launch Site One in West Texas at 9:59 a.m. Eastern.” The crew of Blue Origin’s NS-20 mission were paying customers Marty Allen, Sharon and Marc Hagle, Jim Kitchen and George Nield, and Blue Origin New Shepard Chief Architect Gary Lai. Full Story (Space News) More Info (AIAA News)
March 31, 2022 – Reston, Va. –The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Executive Director Dan Dumbacher made the following statement:
“On behalf of the 30,000 professional and student members of AIAA, we congratulate the Blue Origin team on its successful NS-20 mission. This mission continues building on Blue Origin’s vision to see millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. Through this mission, we are seeing Blue Origin’s progress opening up access to space travel for more even people from all walks of life.
We are especially thrilled to follow George Nield’s journey as part of the NS-20 astronaut crew. Dr. Nield is a member of the AIAA Board of Trustees, a lifetime member of the Institute, and an AIAA Fellow. We can’t wait to hear about his experience!
We recognize the dedicated aerospace industry professionals involved in making today’s mission a success. We salute our corporate member, Blue Origin, and their entire team, for helping shape the future of aerospace.
AIAA is honored to be one of Blue Origin’s Club for the Future partner organizations to help develop and inspire the next generation of space professionals.”
Media Contact: Rebecca B. Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270 cell
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About AIAA The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit aiaa.org, and follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
