The Kiwi Nation Has Joined NASA's Moon Exploration Initiative...

NASA

New Zealand Signs Artemis Accords (News Release)

New Zealand has joined a growing list of countries to sign the Artemis Accords. Dr. Peter Crabtree, head of the New Zealand Space Agency, signed the document during a ceremony May 31 in Wellington. New Zealand is the second nation to sign the Artemis Accords under the Biden-Harris Administration, following the Republic of Korea’s signature May 24.

“New Zealand, along with seven other nations, helped craft the principles espoused in the Artemis Accords. These simple, universal principles will enable the next generation of international partnerships for the exploration of the Moon and beyond,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “The Artemis Accords belong to our partners as much they do to us.”

New Zealand was one of the countries that contributed to the development of the Artemis Accords, which establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA’s 21st century lunar exploration plans. It is the 11th country to sign the Artemis Accords, joining Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, and the United States.

“New Zealand’s participation in the Artemis Accords is an historic moment for our nation and our highly-regarded local space industry,” said New Zealand Economic and Regional Development Minister Stuart Nash. “Space exploration increases our knowledge of our planet and universe, encourages research, science and innovation, and New Zealand is proud to become a partner in the Artemis Accords.”

NASA, in coordination with the U.S. Department of State, announced the establishment of the Artemis Accords in 2020. The Artemis Accords reinforce and implement the 1967 Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, otherwise known as the Outer Space Treaty. They also reinforce the commitment by the United States and partner nations to the Registration Convention, the Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts, and other norms of behavior that NASA and its partners have supported, including the public release of scientific data.

Additional countries will join the Artemis Accords in the months and years ahead, as NASA continues to work with its international partners to establish a safe, peaceful, and prosperous future in space. Working with emerging space agencies, as well as existing partners and well-established space agencies, will add new energy and capabilities to ensure the entire world can benefit from our journey of exploration and discovery.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA

Artemis 3 Update: An Advanced Life Support System Will Fly on Orion's Third Lunar Voyage and Beyond...

NASA / ESA / ATG Medialab

NASA Awards Laser Air Monitoring System Contract for Orion (Press Release)

NASA has awarded Dynetics Inc. of Huntsville, Alabama, a contract to produce a Laser Air Monitoring System (LAMS) for the agency’s Orion spacecraft beginning with the Artemis III mission.

The LAMS contract is valued at $17.8 million for production of the Artemis III unit, as well as a qualification unit, design modifications, and long-lead procurement items in support of the Artemis IV and V missions. It is an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with firm fixed price orders. The contract has a maximum potential value of $90 million, should additional flight units or components be needed for the Orion program or other NASA programs and projects. The period of performance extends through 2025.

Derived from an air monitoring system flown on the Mars Curiosity rover, LAMS is a new air monitoring technology that will measure oxygen, carbon dioxide, water vapor, temperature, and pressure within Orion during Artemis missions to the Moon. The system is accurate enough to detect unsafe levels of these elements in cabin air composition, giving crews time to respond. LAMS is well-suited to deep space exploration due to its low mass, volume, and power consumption, and ability to operate in space without re-calibration. In September 2020, Dynetics delivered the first version of a LAMS unit to NASA for use in the Artemis II Orion spacecraft, the first Artemis mission that will carry humans.

The Orion spacecraft will carry astronauts to space on Artemis missions, provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during transit to the lunar vicinity, and provide safe return to Earth from deep space. Orion is a vital part of NASA’s deep space exploration plans, along with the Space Launch System rocket, Gateway, and Human Landing System.

Source: NASA.Gov

The First SLS Rocket That Will Fly Astronauts to the Moon Continues to Take Shape in Louisiana...

NASA / Eric Bordelon

NASA Stacks Elements for Upper Portion of Artemis II Core Stage (News Release)

NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) team fully stacked three hardware elements together May 24 to form the top of the rocket’s core stage for the Artemis II mission. NASA and core stage prime contractor Boeing connected the forward skirt with the liquid oxygen tank and intertank flight hardware inside an assembly area at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. Teams had previously stacked the liquid oxygen tank and intertank on April 28. The joining of the three structures together is the first major assembly of core stage hardware for Artemis II, the first crewed Artemis mission and second flight of the SLS rocket. Next, technicians will work to complete outfitting and integrating the systems within the upper structure.

At 66 feet-tall, the upper part of the stage is just a fraction of the entire core stage. The fully-assembled, 212-foot-tall rocket stage consists of five hardware elements, including two liquid propellant tanks and four RS-25 engines. The liquid oxygen tank in the upper portion of the stage will hold 196,000 gallons of liquid oxygen cooled to minus 297 degrees Fahrenheit. Meanwhile, the forward skirt and intertank house avionics, flight computer, and electronic systems for the rocket stage. Together, the core stage and its four RS-25 engines will provide more than 2 million pounds of thrust to help send Artemis II astronauts beyond Earth’s orbit to lunar orbit.

With Artemis, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon and establish sustainable exploration in preparation for missions to Mars. SLS and NASA’s Orion spacecraft, along with the commercial Human Landing System and the Gateway in orbit around the Moon, are NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon in a single mission.

Source: NASA.Gov

South Korea Is the Newest Partner in NASA's Moon Exploration Initiative...

ROK Minister of Science and ICT

Republic of Korea Joins List of Nations to Sign Artemis Accords (News Release)

The Republic of Korea has become the 10th country to sign the Artemis Accords, which establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA’s 21st century lunar exploration plans. Minister of Science and ICT Lim Hyesook signed the Artemis Accords for the country during a ceremony held May 24 in Seoul. South Korea, whose official name is the Republic of Korea, joins Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, and the United States, and is the first nation to sign the Accords under the Biden Administration.

“I am thrilled the Republic of Korea has committed to the Artemis Accords. Their signature demonstrates the strong momentum worldwide in supporting our Moon to Mars exploration approach,” said NASA Administrator Sen. Bill Nelson. “Partnering in deep space will ensure our missions are carried out in accordance with important, universal principles like transparency, safety, and peaceful exploration, which are critical to ensuring a safe, and prosperous future in space for all.”

“For successful space exploration, it is critical to implement space development activities transparently and responsibly by collaborating with the international community,” said Hyesook. “With the signing of the Artemis Accords, Korea would be able to strengthen cooperation with nations participating in the Accords in exploring the outer space.”

NASA, in coordination with the U.S. Department of State, announced the establishment of the Artemis Accords in 2020. The Artemis Accords reinforce and implement the 1967 Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, otherwise known as the Outer Space Treaty. They also reinforce the commitment by the United States and partner nations to the Registration Convention, the Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts, and other norms of behavior that NASA and its partners have supported, including the public release of scientific data.

Additional countries will join the Artemis Accords in the months and years ahead, as NASA continues to work with its international partners to establish a safe, peaceful, and prosperous future in space. Working with emerging space agencies, as well as existing partners and well-established space agencies, will add new energy and capabilities to ensure the entire world can benefit from our journey of exploration and discovery.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA

A Veteran NASA Flyer Has Been Chosen to Command a Second Privately-Flown Crew Dragon Mission to the ISS...

Axiom Space

Record-holding Astronaut Peggy Whitson and Mission Pilot John Shoffner to Lead Axiom Space’s Ax-2 Mission to Enable New Research in Space (Press Release)

Houston – Axiom Space on Tuesday revealed the commander and pilot of its second commercial mission proposed to fly to the International Space Station and announced the proposed crew’s intended research while on orbit. Axiom will compete to fly the Ax-2 mission when NASA announces the next private astronaut mission opportunity. If awarded, Ax-2 will further the Houston-based space infrastructure leader’s expansion of the commercial human spaceflight market and cement the research opportunities it can make possible for private industry in low-Earth orbit.

Whitson, one of the world’s most revered astronauts who during a 22-year career at NASA became the ISS’ first female commander, the first ISS Science Officer, and set and still holds the American record for time spent in space, will return to flight as a private citizen and commander of Ax-2. Alongside her as the planned mission pilot will be John Shoffner – a pilot, champion GT racer, and active supporter of life science research from Knoxville, Tenn.

Whitson and Shoffner will train together in Axiom’s standard astronaut program to prepare them to lead the flight. In addition to their flight training, they will learn how to translate terrestrial single-cell genomic methods to an orbital science process in collaboration with Pleasanton, Calif.-based 10x Genomics, a global leader in developing products to master biology for advancing human health whose offerings are used by all of the top 100 global research institutions.

“I’m thrilled to get to fly to space again and lead one of the first of these pioneering missions, marking a new era of human spaceflight,” Whitson said. “But even more than that, I’m eager for the chance on Ax-2 to open space up to the first full generation of private astronauts and directly link John to the research opportunities on the ISS. In the time we’ve already spent together as crewmates, it’s clear to me that John will be an excellent pilot and researcher. It’s a pleasure to take him under my wing.”

The mission will complete an unconventional path to space for Shoffner, a lifelong athlete and health & science enthusiast.

"Growing up, I closely followed every NASA flight of Gemini and Apollo,” Shoffner said. "Now to experience astronaut training teamed with Peggy is an honor. I am also excited about our upcoming work with 10x Genomics in this first step towards making their single-cell technologies available to researchers in a microgravity environment. I look forward to the process of testing and validating this technology for future groundbreaking work in low-Earth orbit.”

In addition to standard training on ISS systems, Shoffner will receive specialized spacecraft operations training to assist the commander during flight as pilot of the crew capsule and develop with Whitson the protocols necessary to conduct single-cell sequencing experiments in microgravity.

Whitson and Shoffner are also currently training to serve as backup commander and pilot for Axiom’s Ax-1, the first-ever fully private mission to the ISS slated for launch on a SpaceX Crew Dragon in early 2022. As with this proposed Ax-2 mission, Axiom will also compete for the opportunity to fly commercial missions to the ISS approximately every six months, subject to NASA approval and as traffic to the ISS allows.

“Humankind’s expansion off the planet, and the benefits it can bring back, will only be sustained by building and serving demand for expanded life and work in Low-Earth Orbit,” Axiom CEO Michael Suffredini said. “There is no one better than Peggy – who would be history’s second private mission commander to the ISS – to lead the way on a mission so central to that plan, and we are thrilled to have beside her a pilot as driven and committed to this vision as John to cement this new era.”

Source: Axiom Space

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Legendary astronaut @AstroPeggy and mission pilot @johnpshoffner will lead Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2), the second-ever planned private mission to the International Space Station, with the aim of advancing science in orbit.

Chapter 2 begins. https://t.co/rlryA2MT2l pic.twitter.com/A6RgiaZ2Ws

— Axiom Space (@Axiom_Space) May 25, 2021

Photo of the Day: Endeavour at the ISS...

NASA / Paolo Nespoli

It was on this day a decade ago that an astronaut aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule took this image of the orbiter Endeavour docked to the International Space Station (ISS) during STS-134. With only one more flight, STS-135, left to go before the space shuttle program came to an end in 2011, NASA didn't want to pass up the chance to take long-distance photos of an orbiter docked to the ISS before that opportunity was permanently gone. That opportunity arrived on May 23, 2011...when European Space Agency astronaut Paolo Nespoli—who was heading back to Earth along with cosmonaut Dmitry Kondratyev and NASA astronaut Cady Coleman—snapped this picture from aboard their departing Soyuz TMA-20 spacecraft. This photo was taken as the shuttle-station complex was orbiting above our planet at an altitude of 220 miles...with the three Soyuz crew members landing in Kazakhstan a few hours later, ending a 159-day sojourn in space.

Here's hoping that once the Gateway is finally orbiting above the Moon a few years from now, NASA and its international partners will take the moment to photograph the lunar outpost with Orion and other Artemis spacecraft docked to it from afar. That is all.

SpaceShipTwo Update: VSS Unity Finally Rockets into Space Above the Land of Enchantment...

Virgin Galactic

Virgin Galactic Completes First Human Spaceflight from Spaceport America, New Mexico (Press Release)

Welcomes Astronauts and Payloads Home After Third Spaceflight

Virgin Galactic today completed its third spaceflight and the first ever spaceflight from Spaceport America, New Mexico. Today’s flight sees New Mexico become the third US state to launch humans into space.

VSS Unity achieved a speed of Mach 3 after being released from the mothership, VMS Eve, and reached space, at an altitude of 55.45 miles before gliding smoothly to a runway landing at Spaceport America.

On VSS Unity’s flight deck were CJ Sturckow and Dave Mackay, while Kelly Latimer and Michael Masucci piloted VMS Eve. CJ, who flew as pilot-in-command, becomes the first person ever to have flown to space from three different states. The crew experienced extraordinary views of the bright, blue-rimmed curvature of the Earth against the blackness of space. New Mexico’s White Sands National Park sparkled brilliantly below. Their experience today gives Virgin Galactic’s Future Astronaut customers a glimpse of what lies ahead.

Michael Colglazier, Chief Executive Officer of Virgin Galactic, said: “Today’s flight showcased the inherent elegance and safety of our spaceflight system, while marking a major step forward for both Virgin Galactic and human spaceflight in New Mexico. Space travel is a bold and adventurous endeavor, and I am incredibly proud of our talented team for making the dream of private space travel a reality. We will immediately begin processing the data gained from this successful test flight, and we look forward to sharing news on our next planned milestone.”

Virgin Galactic fulfilled a number of test objectives during the flight, including:

- Carried revenue-generating scientific research experiments as part of NASA’s Flight Opportunities Program.

- Collected data to be used for the final two verification reports that are required as part of the current FAA commercial reusable spacecraft operator’s license.

- Tested the spaceship’s upgraded horizontal stabilizers and flight controls and validated EMI reductions.

Following the flight, and in line with normal procedures, Virgin Galactic will conduct a review of all test data gathered and thoroughly inspect the spaceship and mothership. Once the team confirms the results, the Company plans to proceed to the next flight test milestone.

To celebrate the first human spaceflight from New Mexico, the Zia Sun Symbol of New Mexico’s state flag was placed prominently on the exterior of the Spaceship. In addition, we flew green chile seeds, which are synonymous with the state’s rich agricultural and culinary history.

"Fifteen years ago, New Mexico embarked on a journey to create the world’s first commercial spaceport," said Sir Richard Branson. "Today, we launched the first human spaceflight from that very same place, marking an important milestone for both Virgin Galactic and New Mexico. I am proud of the team for their hard work and grateful to the people of New Mexico who have been unwavering in their commitment for commercial spaceflight from day one. Their belief and support have made today’s historic achievement possible."

Governor Lujan Grisham said: “After so many years and so much hard work, New Mexico has finally reached the stars. Our state’s scientific legacy has been honored by this important achievement, one that took guts and faith and an unwavering belief in what New Mexico can achieve — and indeed is destined to achieve. I can’t wait to see what comes next. We are on the cutting edge, the forefront of innovation, and I plan to do everything in my power to keep us there, taking full advantage of our robust economic and scientific potential. On behalf of proud New Mexicans everywhere, I’m incredibly grateful to so many dedicated and visionary collaborators in this effort, not least Sir Richard Branson and former Governor Bill Richardson, the entire Virgin Galactic team and Spaceport team who made possible this long-awaited day.”

“The Spaceport has always been about the future of New Mexico,” said former Governor Bill Richardson. “Our state and our people have a long track record of inspiring innovation and being catalysts for national advances in science and technology. So many of New Mexico’s children will benefit from both the educational opportunities and the career opportunities that the space industry offers. I want to congratulate the team at Virgin Galactic for this historic achievement today. This dream began with a handshake between Sir Richard Branson and me, and I’ll always be grateful to him for recognizing that New Mexico can and should be the base for the space industry. I want to recognize Rick Homans, who was critical in the creation of the Spaceport. And thank you to Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham for your dedication to the future of New Mexico and to the Spaceport.”

“The Zia Sun Symbol is one of our most sacred symbols, central to the Pueblo of Zia,” said Governor Frederick Medina. “We are pleased that Virgin Galactic reached out to our Pueblo for permission to utilize this iconic symbol of the state of New Mexico. It is an honor to work with Virgin Galactic and to know that a part of Zia Pueblo will be traveling to space.”

This spaceflight was conducted under strict COVID-19 protocols.

Source: Virgin Galactic

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Photo of the Day: The ISS Will Receive a Power Upgrade Next Month, Courtesy of the Next SpaceX Cargo Flight...

SpaceX

New Solar Arrays Ready for Launch to International Space Station (News Release - May 20)

The first two of six new solar arrays for the International Space Station have been loaded into Dragon’s unpressurized spacecraft trunk. SpaceX will deliver them to the orbiting laboratory during its next cargo resupply mission, targeted for June 3 at 1:29 p.m. The arrays will provide additional electrical power for the numerous research and science investigations conducted every day, as well as the continued operations of the station. Spacewalking astronauts will install the two new arrays in two spacewalks that will take place in June.

Source: NASA.Gov

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Boeing

SpaceShipTwo Is Set to Fly Again Two Days from Now (Weather Pending)...

Virgin Galactic

Virgin Galactic Confirms Upcoming Test Flight of VSS Unity in May (Press Release)

Virgin Galactic today confirmed that the next rocket-powered test flight of SpaceShipTwo Unity will be conducted on May 22, pending weather and technical checks. This follows the completion of a maintenance review of VMS Eve, the mothership jet aircraft designed to carry SpaceShipTwo to an altitude of approximately 50,000 feet.

“Following a detailed inspection and thorough analysis of our mothership, Eve, we have cleared our Spaceflight System for our upcoming flight. I want to thank our incredibly talented team of engineers, maintenance crew, quality inspectors and support staff for their diligence and hard work, which is testament to our commitment to safety and the integrity of our flight test program,” said Michael Colglazier, Chief Executive Officer of Virgin Galactic.

Virgin Galactic regularly monitors its vehicles to verify their condition and inform timing of future upgrades and modifications that can improve performance or reduce future maintenance work. A post-flight inspection of VMS Eve in early May called for further engineering analysis to assess a known maintenance item in the tail of the vehicle, which was scheduled to be addressed during the next maintenance period. This analysis has been completed with the Company determining structures healthy, clearing Eve for flight.

The upcoming VSS Unity test flight will be crewed by two pilots and will carry research payloads as part of the NASA Flight Opportunities program. A key objective of the upcoming flight will be to test the remedial work that has been completed on VSS Unity to lower the EMI levels experienced on the December 12, 2020 flight when the onboard computer halted ignition of the rocket motor. The flight will also incorporate all original test objectives, including assessment of the upgraded horizontal stabilizers and flight controls during the boost phase of the flight, evaluating elements of the customer cabin, and testing the live stream capability from the spaceship to the ground.

Following this May flight, and in line with normal procedures, the team will complete an extensive data review, which will inform the next steps in the test flight program.

Source: Virgin Galactic

Artemis 2 Update: The SLS Core Stage Booster Begins to Take Shape for the First Crewed Flight to the Moon Since 1972...

NASA

NASA Joins Two Major Artemis II Core Stage Structures (News Release)

Technicians at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans stacked two of three hardware elements for NASA’s Space Launch System rocket in an assembly area in the facility on April 28. Crews connected the liquid oxygen tank flight hardware with the intertank. Later, they will add the forward skirt to form the upper portion of the core stage that will help power Artemis II, the first crewed mission of NASA’s Artemis Program and second flight of the SLS rocket. Crews moved the intertank to the assembly and stacking area in March, and then moved the liquid oxygen tank to the same area.

The joining of the three structures together is the first major assembly of hardware for the Artemis II core stage. When completed, the upper part of the stage will stand 66 feet tall — just a fraction of the entire core stage. The fully-assembled, 212-foot-tall rocket stage consists of five hardware elements. Together, the core stage and its four RS-25 engines will provide more than 2 million pounds of thrust to help send Artemis II astronauts beyond Earth’s orbit to lunar orbit. The liquid oxygen tank is one of two giant liquid propellant tanks on the core stage. It will hold 196,000 gallons of liquid oxygen cooled to minus 297 degrees Fahrenheit.

With the Artemis program, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon and establish sustainable exploration in preparation for missions to Mars. SLS and NASA’s Orion spacecraft, along with the commercial Human Landing System and the Gateway in orbit around the Moon, are NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the Moon in a single mission.

Source: NASA.Gov

SpaceX Update: A Fourth and Final Member Is Added to Crew Dragon's Next Flight to the ISS This October...

NASA / Bill Ingalls

Kayla Barron Joins NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 Mission to Space Station (Press Release)

NASA has assigned Kayla Barron to serve as a mission specialist for the agency’s SpaceX Crew-3 mission to the International Space Station, which is targeted to launch as early as Oct. 23.

This will be the first spaceflight for Barron, who became a NASA astronaut in January 2020 after completing two years of training. She will join NASA astronauts Raja Chari and Tom Marshburn, as the mission’s commander and pilot, respectively, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Matthias Maurer, who also will serve as a mission specialist.

This will be the third crew rotation mission on SpaceX’s human space transportation system and its fourth flight with astronauts, including the Demo-2 test flight, to the space station through NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

Barron was born in Pocatello, Idaho, but considers Richland, Washington, her hometown. She earned a bachelor’s degree in systems engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, in 2010. She earned a master’s degree in nuclear engineering from the University of Cambridge in England, in 2011, as Gates Cambridge Scholar. Lt. Cmdr. Barron earned her submarine warfare officer qualification and deployed three times while serving aboard the USS Maine. At the time of her selection as an astronaut candidate in 2017, she was serving as the flag aide to the superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy.

NASA previously assigned Chari, Marshburn, and Maurer to the mission in December 2020. This will be the first spaceflight for Chari and Maurer. It will be the third spaceflight for Marshburn, who previously served as a crew member of the space shuttle STS-127 mission in 2009 and Expedition 34/35 aboard the space station, which concluded in 2013.

When Barron, Chari, Marshburn, and Maurer arrive at the orbiting laboratory, they will become expedition crew members for the duration of their six-month science mission. The crew will have a slight overlap with the Crew-2 astronauts, who arrived April 24. This will mark the second time commercial crew missions have overlapped on the station. The Crew-1 astronauts, who ended their mission with a splashdown off the coast of Panama City, Florida, on Sunday, May 2, were aboard the station with the Crew-2 astronauts for a seven-day direct crew handover. Increasing the total number of astronauts aboard the station enables the agency to boost the number of science investigations conducted in the unique microgravity environment.

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Commemorating 10 Years Since OV-105's Final Space Shuttle Mission...

NASA / Tony Gray and Tom Farrar

On this day in 2011, Endeavour launched on her final space shuttle flight, STS-134—which delivered the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer to the International Space Station (ISS). Endeavour, officially designated Orbiter Vehicle (OV)-105, would remain in low-Earth orbit for a little over 15 days...before ending her storied, 19-year career on Runway 15 at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility in Florida. Endeavour's career included such highlights as the first three-man extra-vehicular activity (on OV-105's maiden voyage, STS-49, in 1992), the first servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope (on STS-61, in 1993) and the first assembly flight to the ISS (on STS-88, in 1998). Ultimately, Endeavour would have 25 missions under her belt before eventually making her way to her final retirement home at Los Angeles' California Science Center in 2012. Ad astra.

Photo of the Day #2: Starship SN15 Is Back on the Pad!

Photo by cnunezimages - Twitter.com

Ten days after its successful 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) hop and subsequent landing at SpaceX's launch facility in Starbase, Texas, Starship Serial No. 15 (SN15) is back on its Pad B launch pedestal...ready for a re-flight above the Gulf Coast! This amazing photo comes courtesy of CNunezIMAGES...who also has a Patreon page that you can support here. SpaceX itself has recently revealed details about the first orbital test flight of Starship that it hopes to conduct sometime this year. However, it remains to be seen how soon the Federal Aviation Administration and Federal Communications Commission grant approval to fly this historic spaceflight demonstration. Stay tuned.

Photo of the Day: The SLS Core Stage Booster Continues to Undergo Pre-launch Refurbishment at Kennedy Space Center in Florida...

NASA / Frank Michaux

Artemis I SLS Core Stage Prep Work (News Release - May 5)

The Space Launch System (SLS) core stage for NASA’s Artemis I mission is in the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 5, 2021. Teams from the center’s Exploration Ground Systems and contractor Jacobs will perform checkouts ahead of integrating the massive rocket stage with the twin solid rocket boosters, Orion spacecraft, and additional flight hardware ahead of the Artemis I launch. Artemis I will be the first integrated test of SLS and Orion and will pave the way for landing the first woman and first person of color on the lunar surface. It will be a proving ground for deep space exploration, leading the agency’s efforts under the Artemis program for a sustainable presence on the Moon and preparing for human missions to Mars.

Source: NASA.Gov

Axiom Space

NASA, Axiom Agree to First Private Astronaut Mission on Space Station (Press Release)

NASA and Axiom Space have signed an order for the first private astronaut mission to the International Space Station to take place no earlier than January 2022.

“We are excited to see more people have access to spaceflight through this first private astronaut mission to the space station,” said Kathy Lueders, associate administrator for human exploration and operations at NASA Headquarters. “One of our original goals with the Commercial Crew Program, and again with our Commercial Low-Earth Orbit Development Program, is that our providers have customers other than NASA to grow a commercial economy in low-Earth orbit.”

The spaceflight, designated as Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1), will launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and travel to the International Space Station. Once docked, the Axiom astronauts are scheduled to spend eight days aboard the orbiting laboratory. NASA and Axiom mission planners will coordinate in-orbit activities for the private astronauts to conduct in coordination with space station crew members and flight controllers on the ground.

Axiom will purchase services for the mission from NASA, such as crew supplies, cargo delivery to space, storage, and other in-orbit resources for daily use. NASA will purchase from Axiom the capability to return scientific samples that must be kept cold in transit back to Earth.

“The first private crew to visit the International Space Station is a watershed moment in humanity’s expansion off the planet and we are glad to partner with NASA in making it happen,” said Axiom President and CEO Michael Suffredini. “A thriving commercial marketplace in low-Earth orbit begins with expanding access to serious, nontraditional users and that is exactly the aim of our private astronaut missions.”

NASA has opened up the space station for commercial activities, including private astronaut missions, as part of its plan to develop a robust and competitive economy in low-Earth orbit. The agency’s needs to achieve that goal – such as research on the effects of the space environment on humans, technology development, and in-flight crew testing – will remain in place after the retirement of the International Space Station. Commercial entities can meet those needs, providing destinations and transportation capabilities. Enabling Ax-1 is an important step to stimulate demand for commercial human spaceflight services so NASA can be one of many customers in low-Earth orbit.

For the Ax-1 mission, Axiom has proposed Michael López-Alegría, Larry Connor, Mark Pathy, and Eytan Stibbe as prime crew members. These private astronauts will be reviewed by NASA and its international partners, as is standard for any space station crew, and undergo NASA medical qualification testing to be approved for flight. López-Alegría will serve as the mission commander, with Peggy Whitson and John Shoffner as backups.

Once the proposed crew passes review and qualification, the four members will train for their flight with NASA, international partners, and SpaceX, which Axiom has contracted as launch provider for transportation to the space station. Trainers will familiarize the private astronauts with systems, procedures, and emergency preparedness for the space station and the Crew Dragon spacecraft. Based on current mission planning, training is scheduled to begin this summer.

The development and growth of the low-Earth orbit economy continues. In January 2020, NASA selected Axiom to provide at least one habitable commercial module to be attached to the forward port of the International Space Station’s Harmony node in late 2024. Most recently, NASA announced the agency is seeking input from industry on future commercial low-Earth orbit destinations that will provide services, such as crew training, scientific research, and advanced systems development for both government and private-sector astronauts and customers.

For more than 20 years, NASA has supported a continuous U.S. human presence in low-Earth orbit. The agency's goal is a low-Earth orbit marketplace where NASA is one of many customers, and the private sector leads the way. This strategy will provide services the government needs at a lower cost, enabling the agency to focus on its Artemis missions to the Moon and on to Mars while continuing to use low-Earth orbit as a training and proving ground for those deep space missions.

Source: NASA.Gov

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Axiom Space

Video of the Day: Elon Musk's Best Skit on SNL Last Night!

"So there are still heroes in this world."

As many of you are aware, SpaceX founder Elon Musk made his debut as host on Saturday Night Live yesterday. Overall, I think he did a commendable job (he's a billionaire rocket scientist, not a professionally-trained thespian, after all)...though I'm sure investors of the popular cryptocurrency Dogecoin wished that the adorable Shiba Inu who's the mascot of this crypto appeared with Elon on screen last night! But this blog entry is about the best sketch from yesterday's episode—which had Musk portraying himself in a SpaceX-inspired skit about a colony on Mars. Much props to Pete Davidson and SNL co-host Miley Cyrus for adding to the hilarity that is The Astronaut!

Blue Origin Is Set to Launch Its First Astronaut Crew on Apollo 11's Landing Anniversary...

Blue Origin

Bid For the Very First Seat on New Shepard (News Release - May 5)

On July 20th, New Shepard will fly its first astronaut crew to space. We are offering one seat on this first flight to the winning bidder of Blue Origin’s online auction. Starting today, anyone can place an opening bid by going to BlueOrigin.com.

Here are the three phases of the auction:

1. May 5-19: Sealed online bidding – you can bid any amount you want on the auction website (no bids are visible)

2. May 19: Unsealed online bidding – bidding becomes visible and participants must exceed the highest bid to continue in the auction

3. June 12: Live auction – the bidding concludes with a live online auction

The winning bid amount will be donated to Blue Origin’s foundation, Club for the Future, to inspire future generations to pursue careers in STEM and help invent the future of life in space.

On this day 60 years ago, Alan Shepard made history by becoming the first American to fly to space. In the decades since, fewer than 600 astronauts have been to space above the Kármán Line to see the borderless Earth and the thin limb of our atmosphere. They all say this experience changes them.

We named our launch vehicle after Alan Shepard to honor his historic flight. New Shepard has flown 15 successful consecutive missions to space and back above the Kármán Line through a meticulous and incremental flight program to test its multiple redundant safety systems. Now, it’s time for astronauts to climb onboard.

This seat will change how you see the world.

- Gradatim Ferociter

Source: Blue Origin

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Blue Origin

SpaceX Update: Starship SN15 Nails Its Landing on a Historic Day...

NASA

Exactly 60 years after NASA astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American to fly into space thanks to his Mercury-Redstone 3 rocket and Freedom 7 capsule, SpaceX made history of its own when it successfully managed to land its Starship Serial No. 15 (SN15) rocket at the company's launch facility in Starbase, Texas...following a flawless 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) hop above the coastline. Unlike the flight of SN10 two months earlier, however, SN15 managed to stay intact long after touchdown—with the vehicle successfully purging its remaining cryogenic fuel and being safed post-landing over the next few hours.


SpaceX

With SN15's flawless test flight now in the history books, it remains to be seen if it will fly again, or if it will take its spot near Starhopper at Starbase as currently the only Starship prototypes to survive their aerial demonstrations. Up next is SN16...and if the flight of this vehicle is successful, then that will only prove that NASA made the right choice in selecting Starship as the Human Landing System (HLS) which will take Artemis astronauts to the Moon's surface as soon as 2024 (even though the HLS contract has been put on hold thanks to protests recently filed by fellow HLS contenders Blue Origin and Dynetics against NASA). Once gain, well-done, SN15!

Live feed of Starship SN15 flight test → https://t.co/Hs5C53qBxb https://t.co/chZjdVAute

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 5, 2021

Starship landing nominal!

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 5, 2021

SpaceX takes a massive leap forward in Starship's development, on a historic anniversary in US spaceflight.

Watch the highlights of today's SN15 flight test in South Texas:https://t.co/QX9P6d14mt #SpaceX #Starship #SN15 pic.twitter.com/vXxKxDS8cb

— Michael Sheetz (@thesheetztweetz) May 5, 2021

HISTORY!!!!!!! On their 19th anniversary of being a company, @SpaceX proved their Starship vehicle’s wacky landing maneuver works!!! They NAILED THE LANDING!!! That was incredible!!! Congrats @elonmusk and the rest of the team!!!! That was unreal!!! pic.twitter.com/LYAE2Jr6KF

— Everyday Astronaut (@Erdayastronaut) May 5, 2021

Raptor Relight - three engines. Flip complete. Landing burn, looks like two engines. SUCCESS!

Now for post landing safing. pic.twitter.com/Q0TzAxx6Ay

— Chris B - NSF (@NASASpaceflight) May 5, 2021

Congratulations @SpaceX on the success of Starship SN15 pic.twitter.com/Jv98NGR5Yr

— Tony Bela - Infographic news (@InfographicTony) May 5, 2021

With an Apollo 16 Moon Rock on Display Nearby, the New Head of NASA Has Officially Been Sworn In...

NASA / Aubrey Gemignani

Vice President Harris Swears in NASA Administrator Sen. Bill Nelson (Press Release)

Sen. Bill Nelson took office as the 14th administrator of NASA Monday, after he was given the oath of office by Vice President Kamala Harris during a ceremony at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington.

In his new role at NASA, Nelson will lead the nation’s space program as it carries out critical missions, including landing the first woman and first person of color on the Moon with the Artemis program, expanding climate change research, fostering innovation and enhancing the U.S. economy and STEM workforce.

“It’s an honor to be sworn in by Vice President Harris to serve as NASA administrator, and I look forward to a continued, strong relationship with her as chair of the National Space Council,” Nelson said after the ceremony. “I want to thank Steve Jurczyk for his leadership as Acting Administrator over the past few months, helping to carry out the Biden-Harris Administration’s priorities and ensure the success of NASA’s goals and missions. You’ve seen the incredible accomplishments at NASA over the past 100 or so days – the proof is in the pudding.”

As part of the swearing-in ceremony, Vice President Harris and Nelson were joined via video conference by Jim Bridenstine, who preceded Nelson as administrator, and in-person by Charles F. Bolden, who served as administrator from 2009 to 2017. Nelson’s family and Pam Melroy, nominee for NASA deputy administrator, were guests at the ceremony.

“I was glad to be joined today by my rock, my wife, Grace, my children, deputy administrator nominee Col. Pam Melroy, and former NASA Administrators Charlie Bolden and Jim Bridenstine, whose standing with me symbolizes the continuity of purpose and bipartisanship,” Nelson said. “It’s an incredible time for the aerospace sector, and I’m excited to lead NASA’s workforce into an exciting future!”

“Congratulations, Mr. Administrator, for all the work you’ve done and all you’ve dedicated to our country,” Vice President Harris said. “I couldn’t agree more that this has to be about our nation and what is best for our nation, unencumbered by partisan politics, but based on what we know is the right thing to do.”

The U.S. Senate confirmed Nelson to serve as the NASA administrator April 29.

Nelson has an extensive history of working with NASA and has been integral to the agency’s current successes. Prior to his nomination, he was a member-at-large on NASA’s advisory council. From 2001 to 2019, Nelson represented Florida in the U.S. Senate, where he served as ranking member of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and led its Subcommittee on Science and Space.

Previously, Nelson represented Florida’s 9th and 11th districts in the U.S. House of Representatives. While chair of the House space subcommittee, Nelson flew aboard the space shuttle Columbia as a payload specialist on the STS-61C mission in 1986, where he conducted 12 medical experiments including the first American stress test in space and a cancer research experiment sponsored by university researchers. The mission also included Bolden, as pilot.

Source: NASA.Gov

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.@NASA is critical to U.S. national and economic security. With decades of experience and as a former astronaut, Bill Nelson will advance NASA's science, aviation, and technology missions as Administrator. pic.twitter.com/dVPQ4fiudZ

— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) May 3, 2021

It is a great honor to lead @NASA, a can-do agency that accomplishes so much! I look forward to a robust future as we continue to explore the heavens. pic.twitter.com/zmfYkfbXyE

— Bill Nelson (@SenBillNelson) May 3, 2021

.@VP swears in Bill Nelson as the next NASA administrator.

The moon rock sample placed between them on the table is 3,900,000,000 years old 🤯 pic.twitter.com/qB7nZ3WK3F

— Lauren Egan (@Lauren_V_Egan) May 3, 2021

SpaceX Update: Crew Dragon Resilience Is Back on Earth...

Photo by BigBoatDriver - Twitter.com

Crew-1 Astronauts Safely Splash Down After Space Station Mission (Press Release)

Four astronauts splashed down safely in the Gulf of Mexico Sunday, completing NASA’s first commercial crew, long-duration mission aboard the International Space Station. The return comes nearly six months after the crew members arrived at the microgravity laboratory and also marks the longest-duration mission of a crewed American spacecraft to date.

SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, carrying NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Soichi Noguchi, returned to Earth in a parachute-assisted splashdown at 2:56 a.m. EDT off the coast of Panama City, Florida. Crews aboard SpaceX recovery vessels successfully recovered the spacecraft and astronauts. After returning to shore, the astronauts will fly back to Houston.

“Welcome home Victor, Michael, Shannon, and Soichi, and congratulations to the teams at NASA and SpaceX who worked so hard to ensure their safe and successful splashdown,” said Sen. Bill Nelson, who was confirmed by the Senate to serve as NASA Administrator on April 29. “We’ve accomplished another incredible spaceflight for America and our commercial and international partners. Safe, reliable transportation to the International Space Station is exactly the vision that NASA had when the agency embarked on the commercial crew program.”

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission launched Nov. 15, 2020, on a Falcon 9 rocket from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The astronauts named the spacecraft Resilience, in honor of their families, colleagues, and fellow citizens and highlighting the dedication displayed by the teams involved with the mission and demonstrating that there is no limit to what humans can achieve when they work together. Crew Dragon Resilience docked to the Harmony module’s forward port of the space station Nov. 16, nearly 27 hours after liftoff.

Overall, Hopkins, Glover, Walker, and Noguchi traveled 71,242,199 statute miles during their 168 days in orbit (with 167 days aboard the space station), completing 2,688 orbits around Earth. With splashdown, the crew also broke the American crewed spacecraft mission duration record of 84 days, 1 hour, 15 minutes, set by the final Skylab crew in February 1974.

Crew-1 also is the first night splashdown of a U.S. crewed spacecraft since Apollo 8’s predawn return in the Pacific Ocean on Dec. 27, 1968, with NASA astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders.

Throughout their mission, the Crew-1 astronauts contributed to scientific investigations and technology demonstrations, in addition to spacewalks and public engagement events, while aboard the orbiting laboratory. From studying protein crystal development to advance new drug discoveries, to demonstrating robotic assistant technologies, their work advances exploration of the universe while bringing benefits back to Earth.

They also grew crops in both the Advanced Plant Habitat and Veggie plant growth facilities, and conducted tests of a new method for producing semiconductor crystals. The astronauts contributed hundreds of pictures of Earth as part of the Crew Earth Observation investigation, one of the longest-running investigations aboard the space station, which contributes to tracking of natural disasters and changes to our home planet. The crew also tested a new tape dispenser, designed and produced by students as part of the High Schools United with NASA to Create Hardware (HUNCH), during the mission.

In early 2021, the Crew-1 astronauts had significant roles to play in five spacewalks outside the orbiting laboratory. Glover completed his first four spacewalks, including three alongside Hopkins, whose total number of spacewalks is now five. Noguchi joined NASA’s Kate Rubins on the fourth spacewalk of each of their careers. During the spacewalks, the astronauts connected cables on the recently installed Bartolomeo science platform, prepared the station for upcoming solar array upgrades, serviced the station’s cooling system, and completed other station maintenance tasks.

On April 5, all four Crew-1 astronauts boarded Resilience for a port relocation maneuver, moving their spacecraft from the forward-facing port to the space-facing port on the Harmony module. The move allowed for the forward-facing port to receive four Crew-2 astronauts upon their arrival to the station April 24. Later this year, SpaceX’s 22nd Commercial Resupply Services mission is scheduled to dock at the newly vacant zenith port, bringing with it the first pair of new solar arrays.

The Crew-1 flight is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which has worked with the U.S. aerospace industry to launch astronauts on American rockets and spacecraft from American soil to the space station.

The second splashdown of the Commercial Crew Program comes just over one week after the launch of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission, the second long-duration mission. The Crew-2 astronauts launched April 23 and will live and work aboard the station until their return to Earth in about six months.

Resilience will return to SpaceX’s Dragon Lair in Florida for inspection and processing. There, teams will examine the spacecraft’s data and performance throughout the flight. The next NASA and SpaceX crewed mission is Crew-3, currently targeted for launch no earlier than Oct. 23. Crew-2 astronauts are scheduled to return to Earth Oct. 31, about a week after welcoming their Crew-3 colleagues to the orbiting outpost.

The goal of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program is safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station. This has already been proven to provide additional research time and increase the opportunity for discovery aboard humanity’s testbed for exploration, including helping us prepare for human exploration of the Moon and Mars.

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Photo by Kyle Montgomery - Twitter.com


NASA / Bill Ingalls


NASA / Bill Ingalls

The National Space Council Has a New Leader...

NASA

Sen. Bill Nelson Statement on National Space Council (Press Release)

The following is a statement from Sen. Bill Nelson, who the U.S. Senate confirmed as the 14th NASA administrator on April 29, regarding the announcement Saturday that Vice President Kamala Harris will chair the National Space Council:

“The Vice President is the perfect person to lead the federal government’s space policy, which is increasingly complex, with many nations in space.

“Vice President Lyndon Johnson was the first chair of the National Space Council when America initially ventured beyond Earth. Now, Vice President Harris will coordinate our nation’s efforts to ensure America continues to lead in space. It is an exciting time for our space program.”
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As I've said before: In America, when we shoot for the moon, we plant our flag on it. I am honored to lead our National Space Council.

— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) May 1, 2021