Artemis Update: NASA to Resume Working with SpaceX on Its Starship Lunar Lander for the Artemis 3 Mission...

SpaceX

Statement on Blue Origin-Dynetics Decision (Press Release)

The following is a statement from Kenneth E. Patton, Managing Associate General Counsel for Procurement Law at GAO, regarding today’s decision resolving the protests filed by Blue Origin Federation, LLC, and Dynetics, Inc. – A Leidos Company, B-417839 et al., Friday, July 30, 2021.

On Friday, July 30, 2021, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) denied protests filed by Blue Origin Federation, LLC, of South Kent, Washington, and Dynetics, Inc.-A Leidos Company, of Huntsville, Alabama. The protesters challenged their non-selection for awards and the award of optional contract line item numbers to Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX), of Hawthorne, California, under Option A to Appendix H of Broad Agency Announcement (the announcement) No. NNH19ZCQ001K.

Broad Agency Announcements typically provide for the acquisition of basic and applied research for new and creative research or development solutions to scientific and engineering problems. The rules for these procurements are not the same as those for standard competitive federal procurements, as agencies generally enjoy broader discretion in selecting the proposals most suitable to meeting their research and development needs when utilizing broad agency announcement procedures. The announcement was issued by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), for a demonstration mission for a Human Landing System for lunar exploration.

NASA made award to SpaceX for a total evaluated price of $2,941,394,557. After noting that SpaceX submitted the lowest-priced proposal with the highest rating, and that the offers submitted by Blue Origin and Dynetics were significantly higher in price, NASA also concluded that the agency lacked the necessary funding to make more than one award.

In the challenge filed at GAO, the protesters argued that the agency was required to make multiple awards consistent with the announcement’s stated preference for multiple awards. Alternatively, the protesters alleged that the agency was required to open discussions, amend, or cancel the announcement when NASA, after the receipt of proposals, determined that it had less funding than it needed to support multiple HLS awards. The protesters also argued that NASA unreasonably evaluated all three of the proposals. Finally, the protesters argued that NASA improperly waived a mandatory solicitation requirement for SpaceX.

In denying the protests, GAO first concluded that NASA did not violate procurement law or regulation when it decided to make only one award. NASA’s announcement provided that the number of awards the agency would make was subject to the amount of funding available for the program. In addition, the announcement reserved the right to make multiple awards, a single award, or no award at all. In reaching its award decision, NASA concluded that it only had sufficient funding for one contract award. GAO further concluded there was no requirement for NASA to engage in discussions, amend, or cancel the announcement as a result of the amount of funding available for the program. As a result, GAO denied the protest arguments that NASA acted improperly in making a single award to SpaceX.

GAO next concluded that the evaluation of all three proposals was reasonable, and consistent with applicable procurement law, regulation, and the announcement’s terms.

Finally, GAO agreed with the protesters that in one limited instance NASA waived a requirement of the announcement for SpaceX. Despite this finding, the decision also concludes that the protesters could not establish any reasonable possibility of competitive prejudice arising from this limited discrepancy in the evaluation.

GAO’s decision expresses no view as to the merits of these proposals. Judgments about which offeror will most successfully meet the government’s needs are reserved for the procuring agencies, subject only to statutory and regulatory requirements. GAO’s bid protest process is handled by GAO’s Office of General Counsel and examines whether procuring agencies have complied with procurement laws and regulations.

Today’s decision was issued under a protective order because the decision may contain proprietary and source selection sensitive information. GAO has directed counsel for the parties to promptly identify information that cannot be publicly released so that GAO can expeditiously prepare and release a public version of the decision. When the public version of the decision is available, it will be posted to our website, “www.gao.gov.”

Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office

ISS Update: Nauka's Eventful Arrival at the Orbital Outpost Has Caused Starliner's OFT-2 Launch to be Delayed...

NASA / Shane Kimbrough

After an 8-day voyage in low-Earth orbit, Russia's Nauka Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM) reached the International Space Station (ISS) at 9:29 AM, EDT (6:29 AM, PDT) today...but not without incident.

Hours after it successfully docked at the ISS (using its Kurs automated docking system), Nauka began firing its thrusters—even though they should've been shut down immediately after the 22-ton spacecraft mated with the nadir port on Russia's Zvezda module.

The errant thruster firings were extensive to the point that the ISS became tilted 45 degrees from its normal attitude...prompting Roscosmos to rely on Zvezda and the Progress MS-17 freighter to restore attitude control by firing their own thrusters to counter Nauka's aberrant behavior. This action was successful, even though the space station crewmembers were ordered to close all window shutters as a precaution during this operation.

Misson controllers later found out that Nauka's flight computer was still configured for docking procedures, so they waited till the ISS passed over a Russian ground station to command the MLM's computer to deactivate all thrusters.

The ISS astronauts were never in danger during Nauka's misfirings, but these were enough to force NASA to delay tomorrow's launch of Boeing's CST-100 Starliner capsule on Orbital Flight Test (OFT)-2 to no earlier than next Tuesday, August 3.

Already at the pad, Starliner and its Atlas V rocket will be rolled back to the Vertical Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Space Launch Complex 41 to await the next launch attempt.

If Starliner lifts off on August 3, T-0 would be at 1:20 PM, EDT (10:20 AM, PDT)—during an instantaneous launch window.


Roscosmos / Oleg Novitskiy


NASA TV


United Launch Alliance

Artemis 1 Update: Orion Continues to be Prepped for Its Move to KSC's Vehicle Assembly Building Several Weeks from Now...

NASA / Kim Shiflett

Last week, the launch abort tower was attached to the Orion capsule inside the Launch Abort System Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida.

This milestone occurred last Friday, July 23...with the next step being the installation of four ogive panels that will form the fairing assembly enshrouding Orion during the first few minutes of flight on Artemis 1.

Once Orion has been fully attached to its launch abort system, the crewed vehicle will be transported to KSC's Vehicle Assembly Building—where it will be mated to the Space Launch System, completing stacking operations for the Artemis 1 Moon rocket. This is set to occur in late August or early September.

Inside the Space Station Processing Facility at KSC, technicians have already placed 7 of 13 special CubeSats inside the Orion Stage Adapter (OSA). This process started on July 14.

The remaining satellites—which will travel to destinations ranging from lunar orbit, the Moon's surface and all the way to deep space—should be installed inside OSA within the next two weeks.


NASA

ISS Update: Today's Removal of Russia's Pirs Docking Port Has Cleared the Way for Nauka's Arrival This Thursday...

ESA / Thomas Pesquet

Earlier today, the unmanned Progress MS-16 capsule undocked from the International Space Station (ISS)...bringing along with it Russia's Pirs module which had been attached to the outpost since September of 2001. Departure of the Progress freighter and the ISS component took place at 6:55 AM, Eastern Daylight Time (3:55 AM, Pacific Daylight Time), and destructive re-entry into Earth's atmosphere for the two vessels occurred after 10:01 AM, EDT (7:01 AM, PDT).

Pirs' removal from the ISS clears the way for the arrival of the Nauka Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM), Russia's newest space station segment that launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan last Wednesday (July 21), and will dock to the orbital outpost this Thursday, July 29.

Originally scheduled to lift off in 2007, Nauka's flight was delayed for over a decade due to financial issues and technical problems (such as the piping in MLM's propulsion system being contaminated by metallic dust—causing a full hardware replacement to be carried out). Technical problems were also an issue shortly after Nauka's launch...as additional hiccups with its main propulsion system delayed the module from conducting its first orbit-raising maneuver by 24 hours. This also postponed Pirs' removal from last Friday (July 23) to this morning.

With Pirs gone, this seems to imply that Roscosmos has the utmost confidence in Nauka safely docking to the ISS three days from now. It's only fitting that a space station module with a problem-plagued history as significant as that of MLM would have a nail-biting arrival at its orbital destination.

Here's hoping that this nail-biting arrival will lead to triumph for the ISS program and cheers at Roscosmos this Thursday. Godspeed, Nauka.


Roscosmos

On This Day in 2011: The Space Shuttle Program Comes to a Successful End...

NASA / Kenny Allen

A decade ago today, the orbiter Atlantis safely touched down on the Shuttle Landing Facility's Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida—successfully completing flight STS-135, and bringing the space shuttle program to a triumphant end. With the International Space Station (ISS) fully stocked for the next twelve months thanks to supplies brought to the orbital outpost via the Raffaello Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, the main STS-135 payload, Atlantis returned home after a mission that concluded the shuttle's 13-year involvement with the ISS program. Russia's Soyuz capsule was the only crewed vehicle to visit the station for the next nine years, but the shuttle program left behind an enduring legacy which would be continued when SpaceX's Crew Dragon Endeavour lifted off for the outpost in May of last year. And the shuttle's imprint can once again be felt inside Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building...with the Space Launch System undergoing stacking operations (for Artemis 1) that once took place on the shuttle and Apollo Saturn V rockets before it.

It is refreshing to know that as one chapter in NASA's human spaceflight history ended, a new one is finally unfolding in its place. Ad astra.


NASA / Glenn Benson

New Shepard Makes Its First Crewed Flight on Apollo 11's 52nd Moon Landing Anniversary...

Blue Origin

Blue Origin Safely Launches Four Commercial Astronauts to Space and Back (News Release)

Blue Origin successfully completed New Shepard’s first human flight today with four private citizens onboard. The crew included Jeff Bezos, Mark Bezos, Wally Funk and Oliver Daemen, who all officially became astronauts when they passed the Kármán Line, the internationally recognized boundary of space.

Upon landing, the astronauts were greeted by their families and Blue Origin’s ground operations team for a celebration in the West Texas desert.

A Historic Mission

- Wally Funk, 82, became the oldest person to fly in space.
- Oliver Daemen, 18, was the first-ever commercial astronaut to purchase a ticket and fly to space on a privately-funded and licensed space vehicle from a private launch site. He also became the youngest person to fly in space.
- New Shepard became the first commercial vehicle under a suborbital reusable launch vehicle license to fly paying customers, both payloads and astronauts, to space and back.
- Jeff and Mark Bezos became the first siblings to ever fly in space together.

“Today was a monumental day for Blue Origin and human spaceflight,” said Bob Smith, CEO, Blue Origin. “I am so incredibly proud of Team Blue, their professionalism, and expertise in executing today’s flight. This was a big step forward for us and is only the beginning.”

Blue Origin expects to fly two more crewed flights this year, with many more crewed flights planned for 2022.

Source: Blue Origin

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Blue Origin


Blue Origin


Blue Origin

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Starship Update: Super Heavy Booster 3's Raptor Engines Have Ignited for the First Time...

SpaceX

Almost two hours ago, the three Raptor engines on the Super Heavy Booster 3 (B3) prototype ignited for the first time during a static fire at Starbase, Texas. According to the tweet by Elon Musk below, the engine firing lasted for the expected duration. Depending on the construction progress of Super Heavy Booster 4, B3 will conduct another static fire—this time with nine Raptor engines installed. When it officially becomes operational, Super Heavy will have 33 Raptor engines to help it lift Starship to the Moon and beyond.

Today's successful test comes one day after the 8th of 9 tower sections was added to the Super Heavy's Launch Tower at Starbase's Orbital Launch Site (as shown below). SpaceX continues to make great strides in developing the rocket and its ground infrastructure that will allow Starship to one day send people on a long-awaited journey to Mars.

Full test duration firing of 3 Raptors on Super Heavy Booster!

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 20, 2021

Stacking complete! The 8th segment of the orbital launch tower has successfully been integrated with the other 7 sections 🏗

📸@obetraveller#SpaceX @elonmusk pic.twitter.com/fo25EiQiv1

— TankWatchers (@WatchersTank) July 18, 2021

The Inspiration4 Crew Marches On Towards Its September Launch into Space...

Inspiration4 / SpaceX

Just thought I'd share this group photo that the Inspiration4 astronauts took during their training inside a Crew Dragon flight simulator at SpaceX Headquarters in Hawthorne, California. From left to right are Christopher Sembroski (the Mission Specialist symbolizing 'Generosity'), Dr. Sian Proctor (the Pilot symbolizing 'Prosperity'), Jared Isaacman (the Spacecraft Commander symbolizing 'Leadership') and Hayley Arceneaux (the Chief Medical Officer symbolizing 'Hope'). Liftoff of Inspiration4 aboard the Crew Dragon Resilience capsule remains scheduled for September 15, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Assuming that the launch date isn't changed, splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean at the end of this historic mission will take place on September 18.

Resilience will orbit 340 miles (547 kilometers) above the Earth...about 90 miles (145 kilometers) higher than the altitude where the International Space Station resides, and the farthest that humans have soared above our planet since the last Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission (on STS-125) in 2009. Atlantis orbited as high as 359 miles (578 kilometers) during that shuttle flight. T-minus 59 days till Inspiration4 heads into space!

Photo of the Day: Starliner Has Moved One Step Closer to the Launch Pad for OFT-2...

United Launch Alliance

Earlier today, technicians transported Boeing's CST-100 Starliner from its Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center to Space Launch Complex (SLC)-41 at nearby Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Once it was brought to SLC-41's Vertical Integration Facility, Starliner was hoisted up and mated to its Atlas V rocket—which will send the capsule on its journey to the International Space Station (ISS) on July 30. Orbital Flight Test (OFT)-2 is scheduled to lift off at 2:53 PM, Eastern Daylight Time (11:53 AM, Pacific Daylight Time) that day...with Starliner docking at the ISS on July 31. The mission will last up to five days, with the CST-100 touching down at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico on August 4.

If OFT-2 is successful, Crew Flight Test-1 is set to lift off later this year...though a launch date in early 2022 is a stronger possibility for this mission. Stay tuned.

The Storied Career of a Space Pioneer Has Come to an End...

SpaceX

Trailblazing Astronaut Doug Hurley Retires from NASA (Press Release)

NASA astronaut and former U.S. Marine Col. Doug Hurley is retiring from NASA after 21 years of service. His last day with the agency is July 16.

“Doug Hurley is an exceptional astronaut whose leadership and expertise have been invaluable to NASA’s space program,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “His impact on the agency transcends his impressive work in spaceflight, inspiring us to take on bold endeavors. I extend my deepest gratitude to Doug and wish him success in his next adventure.”

Hurley’s career highlights include 93 days in space on missions that include the final space shuttle flight and the first crewed flight of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft.

Hurley was spacecraft commander on the first crewed flight of the SpaceX Crew Dragon, which launched May 30, 2020, and safely returned to Earth Aug. 2, 2020. The flight was the fifth time in history that NASA astronauts have flown on a new U.S. spacecraft and marked a new era of human spaceflight, enabling crewed launches to the International Space Station from American soil on commercially built and owned spacecraft. As a space station crew member for 62 days, he and crewmate Bob Behnken contributed more than 100 hours supporting the orbiting laboratory’s scientific investigations.

“Doug Hurley is a national hero,” said Reid Weisman, chief of the Astronaut Office at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “He is a pioneer in human spaceflight who inspires the next generation. Doug made significant impacts everywhere he served at NASA. Our very best wishes for him, his family, and his future pursuits. We thank Doug for his service.”

Hurley joined NASA at Johnson in August 2000 as an astronaut candidate. On his first spaceflight, in 2009, Hurley was pilot for the STS-127 flight of space shuttle Endeavour, helping deliver and install the final two components of the International Space Station’s Japanese Experiment Module, Kibo, and its Exposed Facility and Experiment Logistics Module. He flew again in 2011, as the pilot for STS‐135, which was the 33rd flight of space shuttle Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA’s Space Shuttle Program.

“Doug brought experience and leadership vital to our continued success in human spaceflight. He shared his critical learning from his missions during many years in human spaceflight to a new team,” said Kathy Lueders, associate administrator for human exploration and operations at NASA Headquarters. “Many of us know and love him as one of the dads on NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 test flight – it’s personal to fly a member of our NASA family, and important for the team working these missions always to keep in mind he and his family is in our hands.”

Through a variety of roles, Hurley also supported NASA astronauts on Earth. Following the completion of two years of training and evaluation, he was assigned technical duties in the Astronaut Office, which included lead astronaut support personnel at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, for space shuttle missions STS‐107 and STS‐121. He was shuttle landing and rollout instructor, served on the Columbia Reconstruction Team at Kennedy, and worked in the Astronaut Office’s Exploration Branch in support of the Orion Program. He also was NASA’s director of operations in Russia, based at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, and assistant director for the Commercial Crew Program for the Flight Operations Directorate.

“For 21 years, I’ve had the incredible honor of participating in the American space program and working alongside the extremely dedicated people of NASA. To have had a place in the assembly of the International Space Station, and the Space Shuttle Program including flying on its final mission, STS-135, has been a tremendous privilege,” said Hurley. “To then have had the opportunity to be at the forefront of the Commercial Crew Program, specifically working with SpaceX, on to commanding the first flight of Crew Dragon, and finally, as a perfect end to my flying career, serving onboard the space station as a resident crew member. On personal level, there were many significant life moments, too, at NASA that have had their forever impact on me. The loss of my colleagues on space shuttle Columbia. And meeting my wife here and starting our family. It is truly humbling when reflecting back on it all.”

Hurley was born in Endicott, New York, but considers Apalachin, New York, his hometown. He graduated from Owego Free Academy, in Owego, New York, and received a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from Tulane University in New Orleans.

Source: NASA.Gov

SLS Update: One of 13 Special CubeSats Is Now Installed Inside the Orion Stage Adapter...

NASA

NASA Solar Sail Asteroid Mission Readies for Launch on Artemis I (News Release - July 13)

Sailing on sunlight, NEA Scout will capture images of an asteroid for scientific study.

NASA’s Near-Earth Asteroid Scout is tucked away safely inside the agency’s powerful Space Launch System (SLS) rocket at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The solar sailing CubeSat is one of several secondary payloads hitching a ride on Artemis I, the first integrated flight of the agency’s SLS and the Orion spacecraft.

NEA Scout, a small spacecraft roughly the size of a large shoebox, has been packaged into a dispenser and attached to the adapter ring that connects the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft. The Artemis I mission will be an uncrewed flight test. It also offers deep space transportation for several CubeSats, enabling opportunities for small spacecraft like NEA Scout to reach the Moon and beyond as part of the Artemis program.

“NEA Scout will be America’s first interplanetary mission using solar sail propulsion,” said Les Johnson, principal technology investigator for the mission at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. “There have been several sail tests in Earth orbit, and we are now ready to show we can use this new type of spacecraft propulsion to go new places and perform important science.”

The CubeSat will use stainless steel alloy booms to deploy an aluminum-coated plastic film sail – thinner than a human hair and about the size of a racquetball court. The large-area sail will generate thrust by reflecting sunlight. Energetic particles of sunlight, called photons, bounce off the solar sail to give it a gentle yet constant push. Over time, this constant thrust can accelerate the spacecraft to very high speeds, allowing it to navigate through space and catch up to its target asteroid.

“This type of propulsion is especially useful for small, lightweight spacecraft that cannot carry large amounts of conventional rocket propellant,” Johnson said.

NEA Scout is also a stepping-stone to another recently selected NASA solar sail mission, Solar Cruiser, which will use a sail 16 times larger when it flies in 2025.

Sailing on sunlight, NEA Scout will begin an approximate two-year journey to fly by a near-Earth asteroid. Once it reaches its destination, the spacecraft will use a science-grade camera to capture images of the asteroid – down to less than four inches (10 centimeters) per pixel – which scientists will then study to further our understanding of these small but important solar system neighbors. High-resolution imaging is made possible thanks to the low-velocity flyby (less than 100 feet, or 30 meters, per second) enabled by the solar sail.

The data obtained will help scientists understand a smaller class of asteroids – those measuring less than 100 meters (330 feet) across – that have never been explored by spacecraft.

“The images gathered by NEA Scout will provide critical information on the asteroid’s physical properties such as orbit, shape, volume, rotation, the dust and debris field surrounding it, plus its surface properties,” said Julie Castillo-Rogez, the mission’s principal science investigator at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Near-Earth asteroids are also important destinations for exploration, in situ resource utilization, and scientific research. In the past decade, detections of near-Earth asteroids have steadily risen and are expected to grow, offering expanded opportunities as exploration destinations.

“Despite their size, some of these small asteroids could pose a threat to Earth,” Dr. Jim Stott, NEA Scout technology project manager, said. “Understanding their properties could help us develop strategies for reducing the potential damage caused in the event of an impact.”

Scientists will use this data to determine what is required to reduce risk, increase effectiveness, and improve the design and operations of robotic and human space exploration, added Castillo-Rogez.

NEA Scout is developed under NASA’s Advanced Exploration Systems division. The CubeSat is designed and developed by NASA Marshall in Huntsville, Alabama, and JPL in Southern California.

Source: Jet Propulsion Laboratory

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Once the secondary payloads have been secured inside it, the Orion stage adapter will be the next piece of hardware added to the stack for @NASAArtemis I.

WHY the Orion stage adapter is more than just a connection point plus more details on stacking >> https://t.co/5SbkIy5g11 pic.twitter.com/7rmdibJvDZ

— NASA_SLS (@NASA_SLS) July 15, 2021

ISS Update: Russia Is Set to Launch Its 'Nauka' Science Module to the Orbital Outpost Next Week...

Roscosmos

NASA TV to Air Launch of Space Station Module, Departure of Another (Press Release)

NASA will provide live coverage of a new Russian science module’s launch and automated docking to the International Space Station, and the undocking of another module that has been part of the orbital outpost for the past 20 years. Live coverage of all events will be available on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website.

The uncrewed Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM), named Nauka, the Russian word for “science,” is scheduled to launch at 10:58 a.m. EDT (7:58 p.m. Baikonur time) Wednesday, July 21 on a three-stage Proton rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Live launch coverage will begin at 10:30 a.m.

Two days later, on Friday, July 23, the uncrewed ISS Progress 77 spacecraft will undock from the Russian segment of the station while attached to the Pirs docking compartment. With Pirs attached, Progress 77 is scheduled to undock at 9:17 a.m. Live coverage of undocking will begin at 8:45 a.m. A few hours later, Progress’ engines will fire in a deorbit maneuver to send the cargo craft and Pirs into a destructive reentry in the Earth’s atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean. Deorbit and reentry will not be covered on NASA TV.

After Nauka completes eight days in free-flight to allow Russian flight controllers to evaluate its systems, the 43-foot long, 23-ton module will automatically link up to the port on the Earth-facing side of the Russian station segment, vacated by the departure of Pirs. Docking is scheduled for 9:25 a.m. Thursday, July 29, with live coverage begining at 8:30 a.m.

Nauka will serve as a new science facility, docking port, and spacewalk airlock for future operations. Pirs has been part of the space station since September 2001, functioning as a docking port for Russian visiting spacecraft and an airlock for Russian spacewalks.

For more than 20 years, astronauts have continuously lived and worked on the space station, testing technologies, performing science, and developing the skills needed to explore farther from Earth. Through NASA’s Artemis program, the agency will send the first woman and the first person of color to the Moon’s surface, and eventually expand human exploration to Mars. Inspiring the next generation of explorers – the Artemis Generation – ensures America will continue to lead in space exploration and discovery.

Source: NASA.Gov

Gateway Update: Another Developmental Milestone Has Been Achieved for the Moon-bound Space Station...

NASA / Maxar Technologies

Maxar Completes Power and Propulsion Element Preliminary Design Review (Press Release)

PPE is the foundational element of NASA’s lunar Gateway

WESTMINSTER, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Maxar Technologies (NYSE:MAXR) (TSX:MAXR), a trusted partner and innovator in Earth Intelligence and Space Infrastructure, today announced that the Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) it is developing for NASA’s lunar Gateway has passed its first Preliminary Design Review (PDR) and remains on track for launch in 2024.

Passing PDR-1 means that Maxar expects to finalize the PPE system-level design over the next year, culminating in the Critical Design Review in May 2022. A second PDR this fall will verify that the evolved PPE design meets mission requirements and is cleared for final design review and fabrication. During this period, Maxar will continue to take delivery of flight hardware units based on the company’s 1300-class spacecraft platform.

Maxar’s PPE is the foundational element of the Gateway, providing power, maneuvering, attitude control and communications systems for the lunar orbiting outpost. Gateway is a cornerstone of NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon and enable future crewed missions to Mars. PPE is managed by NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio.

In 2020, NASA introduced new requirements, including the integration of the PPE with Northrop Grumman’s Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) on the ground to enable launch of both modules together on a single SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch vehicle. This change reduced Gateway’s risk profile and increased its cost effectiveness, necessitating the need for a second PDR that reflects the evolved program design.

Maxar’s 1300-class spacecraft are currently supporting the following NASA missions:

- PPE, the highest power solar electric propulsion spacecraft ever built
- Psyche, a deep space mission to a metal-rich asteroid
- OSAM-1, an on-orbit assembly, manufacturing and refueling demonstration
- TEMPO, a climate sensor hosted on a commercial communications satellite

“Clearing this development milestone for PPE is a significant accomplishment,” said Chris Johnson, Maxar’s Senior Vice President of Space Program Delivery. “PPE is one of several NASA programs built on Maxar’s trusted 1300-class spacecraft platform, which leverages decades of our commercial design, manufacturing and operations expertise. At Maxar, our team is agile, and our spacecraft are versatile. The progress we have made on PPE is further evidence that we are prepared to meet a broad range of civil, commercial and national security mission needs.”

Source: Maxar Technologies

SpaceShipTwo Update: Sir Richard Branson and His UNITY 22 Crew Have Safely Flown to the Edge of Space Today!

Virgin Galactic

Virgin Galactic Successfully Completes First Fully-Crewed Spaceflight (Press Release)

Virgin Galactic today announced that VSS Unity successfully reached space, completing the Company’s fourth rocket-powered spaceflight.

Today’s flight was the 22nd test flight of VSS Unity and the first test flight with a full crew in the cabin, including the Company’s founder, Sir Richard Branson. The crew fulfilled a number of test objectives related to the cabin and customer experience, including evaluating the commercial customer cabin, the views of Earth from space, the conditions for conducting research and the effectiveness of the five-day pre-flight training program at Spaceport America.

Michael Colglazier, Chief Executive Officer of Virgin Galactic, said: “Today is a landmark achievement for the Company and a historic moment for the new commercial space industry. With each successful mission we are paving the way for the next generation of astronauts. I want to thank our talented team, including our pilots and crew, whose dedication and commitment made today possible. They are helping open the door for greater access to space – so it can be for the many and not just for the few.”

VSS Unity achieved a speed of Mach 3 after being released from the mothership, VMS Eve. The vehicle reached space, at an altitude of 53.5 miles, before gliding smoothly to a runway landing at Spaceport America.

This seminal moment for Virgin Galactic and Sir Richard Branson was witnessed by audiences around the world. It gave a glimpse of the journey Virgin Galactic’s Future Astronauts can expect when the Company launches commercial service following the completion of its test flight program. A recording of the livestream can be accessed on Virgin Galactic’s YouTube channel.

Sir Richard Branson said: “I have dreamt about this moment since I was a child, but nothing could have prepared me for the view of Earth from space. We are at the vanguard of a new space age. As Virgin’s founder, I was honoured to test the incredible customer experience as part of this remarkable crew of mission specialists and now astronauts. I can’t wait to share this experience with aspiring astronauts around the world.”

Branson continued, “Our mission is to make space more accessible to all. In that spirit, and with today’s successful flight of VSS Unity, I’m thrilled to announce a partnership with Omaze and Space for Humanity to inspire the next generation of dreamers. For so long, we have looked back in wonder at the space pioneers of yesterday. Now, I want the astronauts of tomorrow to look forward and make their own dreams come true.”

The mission specialists in the cabin were Beth Moses, Chief Astronaut Instructor; Colin Bennett, Lead Flight Operations Engineer; Sirisha Bandla, Vice President of Government Affairs and Research Operations; and the Company’s founder, Sir Richard Branson. The VSS Unity pilots were Dave Mackay and Michael Masucci, while Kelly Latimer and CJ Sturckow piloted VMS Eve.

Source: Virgin Galactic

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Virgin Galactic


Virgin Galactic


Virgin Galactic

"To all you kids down there..." - @RichardBranson's message from zero gravity. #Unity22

Watch the livestream: https://t.co/5UalYT7Hjb pic.twitter.com/lYXHNsDQcU

— Virgin Galactic (@virgingalactic) July 11, 2021

🎉🚀Spectacular, indeed. Congratulations to the @VirginGalactic team on the successful launch of #Unity22 — your first fully-crewed test flight to space! Onward and upward: https://t.co/Xwdf3OuHu1

— NASA (@NASA) July 11, 2021

Virgin Galactic has released a brief replay from inside the cabin of the VSS Unity rocketplane.

This clip shows Richard Branson and his crewmates at the moment of release from the VMS Eve carrier aircraft.https://t.co/h22JtU0mM4 pic.twitter.com/ezGHy2Hlex

— Spaceflight Now (@SpaceflightNow) July 11, 2021

VSS Unity launches @richardbranson and crew into space from @Spaceport_NM this morning. @NASASpaceflight @VirginOrbit #Unity22 pic.twitter.com/30o3WrOQKh

— Jack Beyer (@thejackbeyer) July 11, 2021

From our #Inspiration4 crew to the crew of @VirginGalactic’s #Unity22, congratulations on today’s spaceflight! One step closer to space for all. pic.twitter.com/nMaNbBXTMZ

— Inspiration4 (@inspiration4x) July 11, 2021

Excited to be part of history today and to cheer on @richardbranson and our brothers and sisters at @virgingalactic. We are honored to join the community of space pioneers to celebrate this milestone! pic.twitter.com/n5FS2jswT0

— Virgin Orbit (@VirginOrbit) July 11, 2021

BREAKING: Billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson reaches the edge of space. https://t.co/3SiFaMB6Ok pic.twitter.com/g3KPWroGLk

— NBC News (@NBCNews) July 11, 2021

Orion Update: The Moon-bound Capsule Is One Step Away from Being Mated to Its SLS Rocket for Artemis 1...

NASA

Earlier today, the Orion spacecraft that will fly on the Artemis 1 mission as early as this November was transported to the Launch Abort System Facility (LASF) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. Inside the LASF, Orion will be encapsulated by its dome-shaped fairing assembly and attached to the jettison motors that will separate from Orion over two minutes after liftoff. Once this launch abort system is installed, Orion will be sent to KSC's Vehicle Assembly Building...where it will finally be mated with the Space Launch System rocket that will send the capsule on its multi-week journey to the Moon and back. This last assembly milestone is set to take place next month.

Orion started today's journey across KSC from the Multi-Payload Processing Facility—where the capsule and its European Service Module were loaded with fuel for flight.


NASA


NASA


NASA

Artemis Update: The Gateway Moves One Step Closer to Becoming a Cornerstone for Sustainable Lunar Exploration...

NASA

NASA, Northrop Grumman Finalize Moon Outpost Living Quarters Contract (Press Release)

NASA and Northrop Grumman of Dulles, Virginia, have finalized a contract to develop the Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) for Gateway, which will be a critical way station and outpost in orbit around the Moon as part of NASA’s Artemis program.

NASA and its commercial and international partners are building Gateway to support science investigations and enable surface landings at the Moon, which will help prepare astronauts for future missions to Mars.

The firm, fixed-price contract is valued at $935 million. Under the contract, Northrop Grumman will be responsible for attaching and testing the integrated HALO with the Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) being built by Maxar Technologies. Northrop Grumman will also lead the integrated PPE and HALO spacecraft turnover and launch preparation with SpaceX, and support activation and checkout of HALO during the flight to lunar orbit. NASA is targeting November 2024 to launch the integrated spacecraft on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.

“NASA is building the infrastructure to expand human exploration further out into the solar system than ever before, including Gateway, the lunar space station that will help us make inspirational scientific discoveries at and around the Moon. Just as importantly, these investments will help NASA carry out the United States’ horizon goal: to further develop and test the technology and science needed for a human trip to Mars,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “The HALO is a critical component of Gateway, and this exciting announcement today brings us one step closer to landing American boots on both the Moon and Mars.”

HALO is where astronauts will live and conduct research while visiting the Gateway. The pressurized living quarters will provide command and control systems for the lunar outpost, and docking ports for visiting spacecraft, such as NASA’s Orion spacecraft, lunar landers, and logistics resupply craft. The HALO module will serve as the backbone for command and control and power distribution across Gateway and will perform other core functions, including hosting science investigations via internal and external payload accommodations and communicating with lunar surface expeditions. HALO also will enable the aggregation of additional habitable elements to expand Gateway capabilities. Immediately after launch, the Heliophysics Environmental and Radiation Measurement Experiment Suite, built by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, will begin conducting research outside of the integrated spacecraft.

“This is a major step on the path for Artemis, not just for NASA, but for the combined team, including our commercial and international partners,” said Kathy Lueders, NASA associate administrator for Human Explorations and Operations. “Gateway will provide unprecedented access to the Moon and symbolizes the expansion of our partnerships into deep space.”

The integrated PPE and HALO will be the Gateway’s foundation, enabling humanity’s first permanent outpost in orbit around the Moon. Located tens of thousands of miles from the lunar surface at its farthest point and within easy range of lunar landers at its closest, the Gateway will be in a near-rectilinear halo orbit. This orbit will allow NASA and its international and commercial partners to conduct unprecedented deep space science and technology investigations, and conduct sustainable lunar exploration.

“This action puts in place the final contract component of a diverse, multi-faceted team – distributed across the country and within some international partner facilities – working together to create and implement the initial Gateway capability. We are excited to work with Northrop Grumman and all the partners to deliver the cornerstone of sustainable human exploration in cis-lunar space,” said Dr. Jon Olansen, NASA’s manager of the HALO project.

HALO leverages contributions from the Gateway international partners for robust capabilities. Batteries provided by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will power HALO until PPE solar arrays can be deployed and during eclipse periods. Robotic interfaces provided by the Canadian Space Agency will host payloads and provide base points for Canadarm3 robotic operations. ESA (European Space Agency) will provide a lunar communications system to enable high-data-rate communications between the lunar surface and Gateway. With three docking ports, HALO will be the hub for international Gateway expansion in the future, including an international habitat that ESA and JAXA will provide, and an ESA-provided refueling module. The docking ports also will host a human landing system for lunar surface expeditions and logistics resupply spacecraft. As the Gateway hub, HALO will provide power, data, airflow to each of these ports, as well as thermal conditioning to assist future elements and spacecraft in controlling the temperature of their equipment and habitable environment.

“Leveraging our success with our Cygnus spacecraft, Northrop Grumman is perfectly positioned to deliver the HALO module, a critical piece for NASA’s Artemis program and our journey to the Moon and beyond,” said Frank DeMauro, vice president and general manager for tactical space systems at Northrop Grumman. “After recently completing a successful preliminary design review, we now look forward to completing the detailed design efforts and eventually bringing HALO to life in our Gilbert, Arizona, facility while also providing integration services for the final, combined vehicle before launch.”

HALO’s design is based on Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft, which has completed 15 resupply missions to the International Space Station to date. A previous contract for HALO, awarded in June 2020, funded work through preliminary design review, one of a series of checkpoints for the complex engineering project. The review process for the module, completed in May, assessed all of the spacecraft’s design to ensure the overall system is safe and reliable for flight and meets NASA’s mission requirements.

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Remembering STS-135: Marking One Decade Since the Last Space Shuttle Mission Took Flight...

NASA / Bill Ingalls

It was on this day back in 2011 that Atlantis took off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida...beginning mission STS-135 to the International Space Station (ISS) that lasted 8 days, 15 hours and 21 minutes, and successfully concluded the 30-year space shuttle program. 10 years later, this anniversary is marked by privately-made capsules (SpaceX's Crew Dragon and soon, Boeing's Starliner) transporting astronauts to the ISS, two super heavy-lift rockets—NASA's Space Launch System and SpaceX's Starship vehicles—that will return crew to the lunar surface via the Artemis program within the next five years, and other commercial companies such as Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic now on the verge of sending paying passengers into space using their suborbital New Shepard and SpaceShipTwo vehicles, respectively.

The time period between 2011 and 2020 (when SpaceX's Demo-2 flight resumed crewed launches from U.S. soil for the first time since STS-135) was marked by delays and uncertainty in America's human spaceflight program, but this new decade should end with mankind moving ever so closer to maintaining a sustainable presence at the Moon, and finally, sending humanity on a much-awaited voyage to Mars. The future of space exploration has never been more promising than this!

Photos of the Day: Installing the ICPS on the SLS Rocket That Will Fly on Artemis 1 This Year...

NASA / Kim Shiflett

Just thought I'd share these new images that were recently posted online by NASA showing the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage being mated to the Space Launch System (SLS) two days ago. As noted in my previous entry, the Orion Stage Adapter and the Mass Simulator for Orion are the next components that will be attached to the vehicle before testing commences on the Artemis 1 rocket and its mobile launcher inside Kennedy Space Center's (KSC) Vehicle Assembly Building. Orion itself will be installed on SLS next month, while the assembled rocket will roll out to KSC's Launch Complex 39B as early as September for a multi-week wet dress rehearsal. The Artemis 1 flight is scheduled for no earlier than November 22.


NASA / Kim Shiflett


NASA / Kim Shiflett


NASA / Kim Shiflett


NASA / Kim Shiflett


NASA / Kim Shiflett


NASA / Kim Shiflett


NASA / Kim Shiflett


NASA / Kim Shiflett


NASA / Kim Shiflett

Artemis 1 Update: The Space Launch System Now Has Its Second Stage Booster...

NASA

Earlier today, the Space Launch System (SLS) that will embark on Artemis 1 as soon as this November became 7,690 pounds (3,488 kilograms) heavier when its second stage booster, known as the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS), was installed on the giant rocket at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. With the ICPS now part of the SLS stack, the Orion Stage Adapter (OSA) will be the next component to be attached to the rocket inside KSC's cavernous Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). However, it remains to be seen whether a test article for the OSA or the flight version of the OSA itself—which will hold 13 CubeSats that will be deployed towards the Moon after launch—will be joined to the ICPS. NASA wants to give each CubeSat team as much time as possible to get their spacecraft ready for flight before they are delivered to KSC for integration onto SLS—and using the OSA replica for upcoming tests will provide that extra time.

Once the OSA is mated to the ICPS, a full-size simulator for the Orion spacecraft (technically known as the Mass Simulator for Orion) will be attached next...and then SLS and its mobile launcher will begin a couple of weeks worth of testing inside the VAB before Orion itself is installed on the Artemis 1 vehicle. That final assembly milestone is set to take place next month. Stay tuned.


NASA

SpaceShipTwo Update: Sir Richard Branson Is Set to Fly on VSS Unity 10 Days from Now...

Virgin Galactic

Virgin Galactic Announces First Fully Crewed Spaceflight (Press Release)

Virgin Galactic today announced that the flight window for the next rocket-powered test flight of its SpaceShipTwo Unity opens July 11, pending weather and technical checks.

The “Unity 22” mission will be the twenty-second flight test for VSS Unity and the Company’s fourth crewed spaceflight. It will also be the first to carry a full crew of two pilots and four mission specialists in the cabin, including the Company’s founder, Sir Richard Branson, who will be testing the private astronaut experience.

Building on the success of the Company’s most recent spaceflight in May, Unity 22 will focus on cabin and customer experience objectives, including:

- Evaluating the commercial customer cabin with a full crew, including the cabin environment, seat comfort, the weightless experience, and the views of Earth that the spaceship delivers — all to ensure every moment of the astronaut’s journey maximizes the wonder and awe created by space travel

- Demonstrating the conditions for conducting human-tended research experiments

- Confirming the training program at Spaceport America supports the spaceflight experience

For the first time, Virgin Galactic will share a global livestream of the spaceflight. Audiences around the world are invited to participate virtually in the Unity 22 test flight and see first-hand the extraordinary experience Virgin Galactic is creating for future astronauts. The livestream will be available to watch on Virgin Galactic.com and will be simulcast on the Virgin Galactic Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook channels. It is expected to begin at 7:00 am MDT / 9:00 am EDT on the day of the flight.

The flight’s four mission specialists will be:

- Beth Moses, Chief Astronaut Instructor at Virgin Galactic. Moses will serve as cabin lead and test director in space, overseeing the safe and efficient execution of the test flight objectives.

- Colin Bennett, Lead Operations Engineer at Virgin Galactic. Bennett will evaluate cabin equipment, procedures, and experience during both the boost phase and in the weightless environment.

- Sirisha Bandla, Vice President of Government Affairs and Research Operations at Virgin Galactic. Bandla will be evaluating the human-tended research experience, using an experiment from the University of Florida that requires several handheld fixation tubes that will be activated at various points in the flight profile.

- Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Galactic. Branson will evaluate the private astronaut experience and will undergo the same training, preparation and flight as Virgin Galactic’s future astronauts. The Company will use his observations from his flight training and spaceflight experience to enhance the journey for all future astronaut customers.

The pilots for this mission are Dave Mackay and Michael Masucci flying VSS Unity, and CJ Sturckow and Kelly Latimer flying VMS Eve.

Following this flight, and in line with normal procedures, the team will complete inspections of the vehicles and an extensive data review, which will inform the next steps in the test flight program. Two additional test flights are planned before the Company expects to commence commercial service in 2022.

Michael Colglazier, Chief Executive Officer of Virgin Galactic, said: “Our next flight—the 22nd flight test for VSS Unity and our first fully crewed flight test—is a testament to the dedication and technical brilliance of our entire team, and I’d like to extend a special thank you to our pilots and mission specialists, each of whom will be performing important work. Tapping into Sir Richard’s expertise and long history of creating amazing customer experiences will be invaluable as we work to open the wonder of space travel and create awe-inspiring journeys for our customers.”

Sir Richard Branson said: “I truly believe that space belongs to all of us. After more than 16 years of research, engineering, and testing, Virgin Galactic stands at the vanguard of a new commercial space industry, which is set to open space to humankind and change the world for good. It’s one thing to have a dream of making space more accessible to all; it’s another for an incredible team to collectively turn that dream into reality. As part of a remarkable crew of mission specialists, I’m honoured to help validate the journey our future astronauts will undertake and ensure we deliver the unique customer experience people expect from Virgin.”

Source: Virgin Galactic

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A 'Mercury 13' Candidate Will Take Flight with Jeff Bezos Aboard the New Shepard Capsule on July 20...

Blue Origin

Wally Funk Will Fly to Space on New Shepard’s First Human Flight (News Release)

Fulfilling a lifelong mission to become an astronaut, Wally Funk will fly to space on New Shepard’s first human flight on July 20 as an honored guest. She will join Jeff Bezos, his brother Mark Bezos, and the auction winner on the flight.

Wally’s journey to space began in the 1960s when she was the youngest graduate of the Woman in Space Program, a privately-funded project which tested female pilots for astronaut fitness. Later known as the “Mercury 13” – thirteen American women successfully underwent the same physiological and psychological screening tests as the astronauts selected by NASA for Project Mercury, but they never flew to space. Wally was the youngest graduate of this program.

She was the first female FAA inspector and first female NTSB air safety investigator. The 82-year-old pilot will now be part of the first crew on New Shepard, and the oldest person ever to fly to space.

Here’s the moment Jeff Bezos asked Wally Funk to join our first human flight on July 20 as his honored guest:

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A post shared by Jeff Bezos (@jeffbezos)

Source: Blue Origin