Tag: Mission

NASA Launches Europa Clipper Mission to Explore Jupiter’s Moon

Ars Technica reports, “NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft lifted off Monday from Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, kicking off a $5.2 billion robotic mission to explore one of the most promising locations in the Solar System for finding extraterrestrial life. The Falcon Heavy rocket fired its 27 kerosene-fueled engines and vaulted away from Launch Complex 39A at 12:06 pm EDT (16:06 UTC) Monday. Delayed several days due to Hurricane Milton, which passed through Central Florida late last week, the launch of Europa Clipper signaled the start of a five-and-a-half year journey to Jupiter, where the spacecraft will settle into an orbit taking it repeatedly by one the giant planet’s numerous moons.”
Full Story (Ars Technica)
More Info (AIAA Statement)

 

Video

NASA’s Europa Clipper Launch (Launch at 1:06:40 mark)
(NASA; YouTube)

SpaceX Crew 9 Mission That Will Bring Back Starliner Astronauts Prepares for Launch

USA Today reports, “The SpaceX Dragon that next year will ferry the Starliner astronauts back to Earth is preparing to finally depart for the International Space Station as early as this weekend. Aboard the company’s Dragon capsule will be two Crew-9 astronauts embarking to the orbital outpost for a six-month rotation to perform a slew of research and experiments. Originally scheduled for an August launch, the mission had been delayed while NASA and Boeing officials worked to figure out what to do about the troubled Starliner spacecraft taking up the Dragon’s docking port.”
Full Story (USA Today)

SpaceX Polaris Astronauts Become First Private Citizens to Complete Spacewalk

The Washington Post reports, “Jared Isaacman performed the first spacewalk by a private citizen early Thursday, with a live broadcast that showed him popping his head and torso out of the hatch of SpaceX’s Dragon capsule and performing a series of maneuvers near the capsule. He was followed by Sarah Gillis, a SpaceX engineer who is part of the four-person, all-civilian crew and also floated outside the spacecraft while tethered and holding on to handrails. The spacewalk was originally scheduled for 2:23 a.m. Eastern time Thursday but was pushed back to just before 7, when Isaacman exited the hatch. Isaacman and Gillis spent several minutes each outside the capsule.”
Full Story (Washington Post)

Polaris Dawn Crew Achieve Record High Orbit Above Earth

The New York Times reports, “After launching early on Tuesday, the billionaire Jared Isaacman and his crew traveled to altitudes not visited by any astronaut since the Apollo moon missions of the 1960s and ’70s. … Two of them, Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon, have now gone farther from the planet than any other women ever.”
Full Story (New York Times – Subscription Publication)

AIAA Statement on Blue Origin’s Successful NS-26 Mission

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 29, 2024 – Reston, VA – AIAA CEO Dan Dumbacher made the following statement: “On behalf of the 30,000 professional and student members of AIAA, we congratulate Blue Origin on its successful NS-26 mission. We celebrate Nicolina, Rob, Eugene, Eiman, Karsen, and Ephraim on their inspirational journey and share the excitement around the NS-26 mission, including the NASA research conducted onboard. New Shephard missions embody the promises of space for the benefit of Earth. “Reusability of space vehicles continues to help decrease the cost of access to space as we see the space economy growing. We applaud AIAA Corporate Member Blue Origin for shaping the future of aerospace.”

AIAA Media Contact: Rebecca Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270 cell

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, or follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Cygnus Spacecraft Experiences Glitches After Launch

Space News reports, “A Falcon 9 launched a Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station Aug. 4, but the spacecraft suffered problems that have delayed maneuvers needed to reach the station. The launch appeared to go as planned, with the Cygnus spacecraft separating from the Falcon’s upper stage in low Earth orbit nearly 15 minutes after liftoff.”
Full Story (Space News)

NASA Europa Clipper Mission Imperiled by Chips on Spacecraft

The New York Times reports, “NASA said on Thursday that it is studying the durability of transistors on a $5 billion spacecraft to Europa, Jupiter’s ocean moon, which has led to concerns about the spacecraft’s ability to function as originally planned in the heavy radiation around the solar system’s largest planet.”
Full Story (New York Times – Subscription Publication)

First Launch of Ariane 6 Considered Partially Successful

Aviation Week reports, “In a relatively complex mission, the first Ariane 6 medium- to heavy-lift launcher placed payloads into orbit in its debut flight July 9 and partially demonstrated its technology features. In a two-booster version, the so-called Ariane 62 lifted off at 4 p.m. local time (3 p.m. EDT) from Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)

 

 

 

Video

First launch of ESA’s Ariane 6 heavy-lift rocket
(Spaceflight Now; YouTube)