SLS Update: NASA Gets Ready to Build More RS-25 Engines for the Mega-Moon Rocket...

NASA

Major Artemis Engine Part Arrives at Stennis For Certification Testing (News Release - October 29)

The first four Artemis missions will use NASA’s 16 upgraded RS-25 engines that previously powered space shuttle flights. For future flights on the Space Launch System (SLS), NASA and prime contractor Aerojet Rocketdyne are changing the way they build major parts for the RS-25. Engineers and technicians are fabricating some of these parts using advanced manufacturing techniques that increase reliability while reducing both the cost and time to build the engine.

The first RS-25 powerhead produced by Aerojet Rocketdyne in over a decade arrived at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi on Oct. 25. Here, it will be installed to a flight certification engine built specifically for testing newly-designed parts for the latest production RS-25 engine that will power SLS flights beyond Artemis IV.

The powerhead serves as the structural backbone to the RS-25. It houses three highly-complex injectors that produce the combustion to power the engine and acts as a junction for several critical parts, including both high-pressure pumps and the main combustion chamber.

Key powerhead components, such as the main injector, heat exchanger, and structural forgings, come with cost and schedule benefits due to the incorporation of advanced machining and forging processes as well as a reduction in welds and part counts, making the powerhead more reliable.

Powerhead unit 7001 recently completed proof-pressure testing at Aerojet Rocketdyne’s site in Los Angeles, California. This test required the part to be pressurized beyond normal operating levels, confirming its capability to safely operate the engine.

The new powerhead, along with other engine parts made from advanced manufacturing technologies such as the engine nozzle and main combustion chamber, will undergo hot-fire testing on the same certification engine early next year. The manufacturing changes incorporated into this new powerhead configuration are an integral part of NASA’s and Aerojet Rocketdyne’s strategy to reduce RS-25 manufacturing costs by more than 30% compared to its shuttle predecessor.

Sixteen new powerhead units are currently in production as part of Aerojet Rocketdyne’s commitment to deliver NASA 24 new RS-25 engines.

SLS and NASA’s Orion spacecraft, along with the commercial Human Landing System and the Gateway in lunar orbit, 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. 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.

Source: NASA.Gov

Artemis 2 Update: The Historic Lunar Mission Will Be Documented by NAT GEO...

NASA

NASA, National Geographic Partner to Show Inside Artemis Moon Mission (Press Release)

NASA has selected National Geographic to help tell the story of Artemis II, the first Artemis flight that will carry astronauts around the Moon and back to Earth aboard the agency’s Orion spacecraft.

Following a competitive selection process, NASA and National Geographic entered into a non-reimbursable (no-exchange-of-funds) Space Act Agreement to collaborate on compact, lightweight audiovisual hardware to fly inside Orion and related support for the project.

“Returning humans to the Moon with Artemis II will inspire the next generation of explorers,” said Kathy Lueders, associate administrator for the Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, who served as the selection official. “This time, we are bringing partners and technologies that will create additional opportunities for the world to share in the experience along with our astronauts.”

National Geographic plans to leverage its portfolio of media assets, including magazines, social and digital content, and television programming, for engagement opportunities. Those would include capabilities for creating an immersive experience aboard Orion to share the story of human exploration of the Moon.

In November 2020, NASA called for proposals to collaborate on unique public engagement, starting with Artemis II. National Geographic media company responded with a proposal to use content captured during the mission to create a multi-platform story-telling campaign aimed at a global audience.

Artemis mission activities will include Artemis I, an uncrewed flight test that will launch Orion on NASA’s Space Launch System rocket to orbit the Moon and return to Earth. Artemis II will carry a crew aboard Orion, paving the way for future missions to send the first woman and first person of color to the surface of the Moon. Subsequent missions will explore more of the Moon and test the technologies and procedures needed for human exploration of Mars.

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ORBITAL REEF: Another Private Space Outpost is in the Works...

Blue Origin / Sierra Space / Boeing / Redwire Space / Genesis Engineering Solutions / ASU

Blue Origin and Sierra Space Developing Commercial Space Station (News Release - October 25)

New Orbital Destination Opens Up Space For Business And Travel, Creating New Ecosystem

Blue Origin and Sierra Space today announced plans for Orbital Reef, a commercially-developed, owned, and operated space station to be built in low-Earth orbit. The station will open the next chapter of human space exploration and development by facilitating the growth of a vibrant ecosystem and business model for the future. Orbital Reef is backed by space industry leaders and teammates including Boeing, Redwire Space, Genesis Engineering Solutions and Arizona State University.

Designed to open multiple new markets in space, Orbital Reef will provide anyone with the opportunity to establish their own address on orbit. This unique destination will offer research, industrial, international, and commercial customers the cost-competitive end-to-end services they need including space transportation and logistics, space habitation, equipment accommodation, and operations including onboard crew. The station will start operating in the second half of this decade.

Orbital Reef will be operated as a “mixed-use business park” in space. Shared infrastructure efficiently supports the proprietary needs of diverse tenants and visitors. It features a human-centered space architecture with world-class services and amenities that is inspiring, practical, and safe. As the premier commercial destination in low-Earth orbit, Orbital Reef will provide the essential infrastructure needed to scale economic activity and open new markets in space. Reusable space transportation and smart design, accompanied by advanced automation and logistics, will minimize cost and complexity for both traditional space operators and new arrivals, allowing the widest range of users to pursue their goals. The open system architecture allows any customer or nation to link up and scale to support demand. Module berths, vehicle ports, utilities, and amenities all increase as the market grows.

The Orbital Reef business model makes it easy for customers and is strategically designed to support a diverse portfolio of uses. The team has all the services and systems to meet the needs of emergent customers, including researchers, manufacturers, and visitors. Orbital Reef offers standard interfaces at all levels – locker, rack, and module. Seasoned space agencies, high-tech consortia, sovereign nations without space programs, media and travel companies, funded entrepreneurs and sponsored inventors, and future-minded investors all have a place on Orbital Reef.

The Orbital Reef team of experts brings proven capabilities and new visions to provide key elements and services, including unique experience from building and operating the International Space Station:

Blue Origin – Utility systems, large-diameter core modules, and reusable heavy-lift New Glenn launch system.
Sierra Space - Large Integrated Flexible Environment (LIFE) module, node module, and runway-landing Dream Chaser spaceplane for crew and cargo transportation, capable of landing on runways worldwide.
Boeing – Science module, station operations, maintenance engineering, and Starliner crew spacecraft.
Redwire Space – Microgravity research, development, and manufacturing; payload operations and deployable structures.
Genesis Engineering Solutions – Single Person Spacecraft for routine operations and tourist excursions.
Arizona State University – Leads a global consortium of universities providing research advisory services and public outreach.

“For over sixty years, NASA and other space agencies have developed orbital space flight and space habitation, setting us up for commercial business to take off in this decade,” said Brent Sherwood, Senior Vice President of Advanced Development Programs for Blue Origin. “We will expand access, lower the cost, and provide all the services and amenities needed to normalize space flight. A vibrant business ecosystem will grow in low-Earth orbit, generating new discoveries, new products, new entertainments, and global awareness.”

“Sierra Space is thrilled to partner with Blue Origin and provide the Dream Chaser spaceplane, the LIFE module and additional space technologies to open up space for commercial research, manufacturing, and tourism. As a former NASA astronaut, I’ve been waiting for the moment where working and living in space is accessible to more people worldwide, and that moment has arrived,” said Dr. Janet Kavandi, former three-time NASA astronaut and Sierra Space president.

“This is exciting for us because this project does not duplicate the immensely successful and enduring ISS, but rather goes a step further to fulfill a unique position in low-Earth orbit where it can serve a diverse array of companies and host non-specialist crews,” said John Mulholland, Boeing VP and program manager for the International Space Station. “It calls for the same kind of expertise we used to first design and then build the International Space Station and the same skills we employ every day to operate, maintain and sustain the ISS.”

“The Orbital Reef represents the next evolution of the commercial space paradigm by creating the first-ever crewed private sector platform in low Earth orbit. The Orbital Reef will carry forward the singular legacy of the ISS, supporting innovative microgravity research, development, and manufacturing activities which will advance fields as diverse as communications and biotechnology,” said Mike Gold, Executive Vice President for Civil Space and External Affairs at Redwire. “The microgravity environment presents an entirely new arena for commercial and scientific development, making Orbital Reef the platform that will launch new technologies and capabilities dramatically improving life on Earth while enabling humanity’s journey to the stars.”

“The Single Person Spacecraft will transform space walking,” said Brand Griffin, Program Manager for Genesis Engineering Solutions. “Space workers and tourists alike will have safe, comfortable, and quick access outside Orbital Reef. Shirt-sleeve environment, great visibility, automated guidance, and advanced precision manipulators will make external operations cost-effective and routine.”

“ASU’s Interplanetary Initiative is honored to be leading the university consortium that is supporting Orbital Reef,” said Lindy Elkins-Tanton, Vice President of ASU’s Interplanetary Initiative and Principal Investigator of the NASA Psyche mission. “We’ve brought together an international group of more than a dozen universities to work on the ethics and guidelines of research — on how we can bring to bear all our expertise in science and research and manufacturing in low gravity, to help nations, corporations and groups that want access to Orbital Reef. It’s about collectively believing in our future and bringing science and engineering to bear on a better future – hugely exciting.”

Source: Blue Origin

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A new station with plenty of room for science: Our team will create a science module for #OrbitalReef. It will be modular so advanced gear can be installed, the same way @Space_Station equipment has been upgraded for more than 20 years. #IAC2021

More: https://t.co/h5CisLxmUl pic.twitter.com/HFrsOiT3YF

— Boeing Space (@BoeingSpace) October 26, 2021

SpaceX Update: One of Starship SN20's Raptor Vacuum Engines Comes to Life at Starbase...

SpaceX

Last Thursday, SpaceX conducted static fires for one of the Raptor vacuum engines aboard its Starship Serial No. 20 (SN20) rocket at Starbase, Texas.

There were two engine tests for Starship SN20 on October 21...which marked a big milestone for these thrusters—which will allow Starship to maneuver in the vacuum of space during next year's orbital test flight—as they last came to life at SpaceX's test facility in McGregor, Texas.

Below is a photo taken by Elon Musk of Starbase as it continues to take form at Boca Chica Beach near the Gulf Coast. And beneath that is a short video released by SpaceX giving a glimpse of its new spaceport as the company continues its quest to develop vehicles that will assist Orion and the Space Launch System on NASA's Artemis Moon missions (as the Human Landing System), and finally send people to Mars.

Stay tuned.


Elon Musk

Gateway to Mars pic.twitter.com/cej13QdyJP

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 23, 2021

First firing of a Raptor vacuum engine integrated onto a Starship pic.twitter.com/uCNAt8Kwzo

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 22, 2021

SLS Update: A Few More Tests Remain Before the Mega-Rocket is Finally Ready for Flight...

NASA / Frank Michaux

NASA Fully-Stacked for Moon Mission, Readies for Artemis I (News Release - October 22)

NASA’s Orion spacecraft is secured atop the agency’s powerful Space Launch System rocket, and the integrated system is entering the final phase of preparations for an upcoming uncrewed flight test around the Moon. The mission, known as Artemis I, will pave the way for a future flight test with crew before NASA establishes a regular cadence of more complex missions with astronauts on and around the Moon under Artemis. With stacking complete, a series of integrated tests now sit between the mega-Moon rocket and targeted liftoff for deep space in February 2022.

“It’s hard to put into words what this milestone means, not only to us here at Exploration Ground Systems, but to all the incredibly talented people who have worked so hard to help us get to this point,” said Mike Bolger, Exploration Ground Systems program manager. “Our team has demonstrated tremendous dedication preparing for the launch of Artemis I. While there is still work to be done to get to launch, with continued integrated tests and Wet Dress Rehearsal, seeing the fully-stacked SLS is certainly a reward for all of us.”

Each of the test campaigns will evaluate the rocket and spacecraft as an integrated system for the first time, building upon each other and culminating in a simulation at the pad to prepare for launch day.

Interface Verification Testing - verifies the functionality and interoperability of interfaces across the elements and systems. Teams will conduct this test from the firing room in the Launch Control Center and will start by powering up Orion to charge the batteries and perform health and status checks of various systems. Next, the teams will do the same to check interfaces between the core stage and boosters and the ground systems, and ensure functionality of different systems, including core stage engines and booster thrust control, as well as the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS). A final integrated test, with all wire harnesses installed throughout the rocket and spacecraft, will verify their ability to talk to each other and to ground systems.

Program Specific Engineering Testing - ensures functionality of a variety of different systems. Following the interface verification test for the core stage and boosters, additional testing will perform several checks in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) for the core stage and booster systems, such as a booster thrust control test. Later, engineers will conduct an additional engineering test during the visit to pad 39B for wet dress rehearsal.

End-to-End Communications Testing - integrated test of radio frequencies from mission control to SLS, ICPS, and Orion – all to demonstrate our ability to communicate with the ground. This test uses a radio frequency antenna in the VAB, another near the pad that will cover the first few seconds of launch, as well as a more powerful antenna that uses the Tracking Data Relay Satellite and the Deep Space Network.

Countdown Sequencing Testing - conducts a simulated launch countdown inside the VAB to demonstrate the ground launch software and ground launch sequencer, which checks for health and status of the vehicle sitting on the pad. The teams will configure the rocket in the VAB for launch and run the sequencer to a predefined point in the countdown – testing the responses from the rocket and spacecraft and ensuring the sequencer can run without any issues. On launch day, the ground launch sequencer hands off to the rocket and spacecraft and an automated launch sequencer takes over around 30 seconds before launch.

Wet Dress Rehearsal Testing - demonstrates the ability to load cryogenic, or supercold, propellants, including detanking the propellants with the Artemis I rocket at the launch pad on the mobile launcher. Several weeks before the actual launch, Artemis I will roll the roughly four miles to Pad 39B atop the crawler-transporter. There it will undergo checkouts at the pad, and teams will practice the launch countdown and then recycle back to T-10 minutes to demonstrate the ability to scrub a launch and de-tank.

Prior to rolling out to the pad for wet dress, teams will conduct the first of a two-part test of the flight termination system inside the VAB. Once the systems are verified, the 322-foot-tall rocket will roll back into the VAB for final inspections and checkouts, including the second part of the flight termination system test, ahead of returning to the pad for launch.

Leading up to launch, Artemis I mission operations teams also will continue additional launch simulations to run the team through its paces, ensuring they are ready for any scenario with this new vehicle come launch day.

The agency will set a specific date for the launch following a successful wet dress rehearsal. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human existence to the Moon and beyond prior to the first flight with crew on Artemis II.

Source: NASA.Gov

NASA Officially Announces That The SLS Is Fully Assembled...

NASA / Frank Michaux

NASA Completes Mega-Moon Rocket Stacking, Invites Media to Learn More (Press Release)

NASA has completed stacking of the agency’s mega-Moon rocket and spacecraft that will launch the next generation of deep space operations, including Artemis missions on and around the Moon. Engineers and technicians successfully secured the Orion spacecraft atop the fully assembled Space Launch System (SLS) rocket at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida just before midnight Oct. 21.

NASA will host a media teleconference at 1 p.m. EDT today, Friday, Oct. 22, to discuss the completed stacking operations and progress toward the uncrewed Artemis I mission around the Moon. The teleconference will stream live on the agency’s website.

“With stacking and integration of NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft complete, we’re getting closer and closer to embarking on a new era of human deep space exploration,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “Thanks to the team’s hard work designing, manufacturing, testing, and now completing assembly of NASA’s new rocket and spacecraft, we’re in the home stretch of preparations for the first launch on the Artemis I mission, paving the way to explore the Moon, Mars, and beyond for many years to come.”

Participating in the briefing are:

- Tom Whitmeyer, deputy associate administrator for exploration systems development, NASA Headquarters
- Mike Bolger, Exploration Ground Systems program manager, Kennedy
- Cathy Koerner, Orion program manager, NASA’s Johnson Space Center
- John Honeycutt, SLS program manager, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center
- Mike Sarafin, Artemis I mission manager, NASA Headquarters

To participate in the teleconference, media must contact Monica Witt at: monica.j.witt@nasa.gov by noon today, Friday, Oct. 22 for dial-in information.

The stack now stands 322 feet tall inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA Kennedy as it enters the final phase of testing before launch.

Next up, NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems teams will conduct integrated tests of Orion and SLS along with the ground equipment, prior to rolling the rocket and spacecraft to the launch pad for a final test, known as the wet dress rehearsal. This final test will run the rocket and launch team through operations to load propellant into the fuel tanks and conduct a full launch countdown. Following a successful rehearsal, NASA will roll the stack back into the VAB for final checks and set a target date for launch.

Through Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the surface of the Moon, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone on the way to Mars.

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NASA

NASA's Artemis 1 rocket is fully stacked at Kennedy Space Center. What’s next?

• Umbilical connections
• Integrated verification tests
• Link checks with ground control, tracking network
• Rehearsal in late December at pad 39B
• Launch in early 2022
https://t.co/s8AvfNjSvV pic.twitter.com/uMy5zeJ8el

— Spaceflight Now (@SpaceflightNow) October 22, 2021

STARLAB: A New Private Space Station is in the Works...

Nanoracks / Voyager Space / Lockheed Martin

Nanoracks, Voyager Space, and Lockheed Martin Teaming to Develop Commercial Space Station (Press Release)

Continuously crewed habitat to support research, industrial activity, and more

DENVER /PRNewswire/ -- Nanoracks, in collaboration with Voyager Space and Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT], has formed a team to develop the first-ever free-flying commercial space station. The space station, known as Starlab, will be a continuously crewed commercial platform, dedicated to conducting critical research, fostering industrial activity, and ensuring continued U.S. presence and leadership in low-Earth orbit. Starlab is expected to achieve initial operational capability by 2027.

To meet U.S. government, international space agency, and commercial needs in space, these industry leaders will develop Starlab specifically to enable the growing space economy and meet pent-up customer demand for space services such as materials research, plant growth, and astronaut activity. Together, these companies bring unparalleled experience in commercial space utilization, engineering design and performance, technology innovation, and investment strategy.

"Since the beginning, Nanoracks has sought to own and operate a private space station to fully unlock market demand," says Jeffrey Manber, CEO and Co-Founder of Nanoracks. "Our team has spent the last decade learning the business of space stations, understanding customer needs, charting market growth, and self-investing in private hardware on the ISS like the Bishop Airlock. Nanoracks and our team are excited to work with NASA and our friends across the world as we move forward with Starlab."

NASA recently announced the Commercial Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) Destination (CLD) project to support the development of private space stations. CLD will stimulate a multifaceted LEO economy and provide science and crew capabilities in LEO before the International Space Station (ISS) retires.

Nanoracks will prime the Starlab development effort leveraging over a decade of experience as the pathfinder of and global leader in commercial ISS utilization. Voyager Space, the majority shareholder in Nanoracks, will lead strategy and capital investment and Lockheed Martin, a leader in developing and operating complex spacecraft, will serve as the manufacturer and technical integrator.

The basic elements of the Starlab space station include a large inflatable habitat, designed and built by Lockheed Martin, a metallic docking node, a power and propulsion element, a large robotic arm for servicing cargo and payloads, and a state-of-the-art laboratory system to host a comprehensive research, science, and manufacturing capability. Starlab will be able to continuously host up to four astronauts for conducting critical science and research.

"We're excited to be part of such an innovative and capable team—one that allows each company to leverage their core strengths," said Lisa Callahan, Vice President and General Manager, Commercial Civil Space at Lockheed Martin. "Lockheed Martin's extensive experience in building complex spacecraft and systems, coupled with Nanoracks' commercial business innovation and Voyager's financial expertise allows our team to create a customer-focused space station that will fuel our future vision. We have invested significantly in habitat technology which enables us to propose a cost-effective, mission-driven spacecraft design for Starlab."

Nanoracks' Starlab business model is designed to enable science, research, and manufacturing for global customers, and bring added value to long-duration sovereign astronaut missions. Starlab will also serve tourism and other commercial and business activities.

"Voyager Space is highly confident in the Starlab business model and its ability to be commercially sustainable and well capitalized," says Dylan Taylor, Voyager Space Chairman & CEO. "Voyager Space sees numerous synergies leveraging the capabilities across our organization's operating businesses, as well as within the Lockheed Martin ecosystem. We see this partnership as just the beginning of our work together."

Source: PR Newswire

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Let us introduce #Starlab. The first-ever continuously crewed, free-flying commercial #space station. Driven by customers, powered by innovation. This is a huge milestone for both the Nanoracks team and the future #LEO economy. @LockheedMartin, @VoyagerSH…let’s get to work! pic.twitter.com/417AdlTVl4

— Nanoracks (@Nanoracks) October 21, 2021

Artemis 1 Update #3: Orion Is Finally United with the Space Launch System!

NASA

Around midnight today, the Artemis program reached a huge milestone when the Orion capsule was finally mated with NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida!

Several hours were spent afterwards on tightening the 360 bolts that will secure Orion to SLS for the Artemis 1 flight to the Moon...which is set to launch no earlier than this January.

The next event after today's accomplishment will be the transport of the fully-stacked SLS to KSC's Launch Complex 39B for a Wet Dress Rehearsal, which should take place next month. Stay tuned!


NASA


NASA


NASA


NASA


NASA

Artemis 1 Update #2: Orion Has Arrived at the VAB!

NASA

After departing from the Launch Abort System Facility about two hours before, the Orion Artemis 1 capsule has arrived at Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB)...where NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket awaits the Moon-bound vessel!

Within the next 24 hours, Orion will be lifted up and transferred over to the VAB's High Bay 3 where SLS sits atop its mobile launcher.

After years of anticipation, it should be tomorrow morning that the mega-Moon rocket is finally complete!


NASA


NASA

Artemis 1 Update: Orion Is Finally Headed to the Vehicle Assembly Building!

NASA

About two hours ago, the transporter carrying the Orion Artemis 1 spacecraft departed from the Launch Abort System Facility to embark on a 6-mile (10-kilometer) trip to the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Here are some photos of tonight's move. Stand by for more images over the next two days as Orion is finally mated to the Space Launch System rocket for its inaugural flight as early as this January!


NASA


NASA


NASA

We’re really movin’!! pic.twitter.com/VhIPLFLZ2j

— NASA's Exploration Ground Systems (@NASAGroundSys) October 19, 2021

Photos of the Day: Two Major Flight Components Have Arrived in Florida for the Artemis 2 and 3 Missions!

NASA

Last week, two major milestones were attained in NASA's Artemis program when the Orion pressure vessel for the Artemis 3 mission, as well as the European Service Module for Artemis 2, arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida to complete final assembly.

The Artemis 3 pressure vessel was sent to Florida from NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility near New Orleans, Louisiana, while the Artemis 2 service module was transported to Cape Canaveral from Bremen, Germany, respectively.

Both major flight hardware will soon finish construction inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at the KSC Industrial Area.

Artemis 2—the first crewed flight of Orion—is currently scheduled for launch in late 2023. Artemis 3, which will see astronauts set foot on the lunar surface for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972, is targeted for liftoff no earlier than 2024.

And as soon as tomorrow night, the Orion spacecraft for Artemis 1 will be transported to KSC's Vehicle Assembly Building to finally be stacked with the Space Launch System rocket! Stay tuned.


NASA

SpaceShipTwo Update: VSS Unity's Next Suborbital Flight Will Take Place in 2022...

Virgin Galactic

Virgin Galactic Begins Planned Vehicle Enhancement and Modification Period; Unity 23 Test Flight Rescheduled to Follow Completion of This Program (Press Release)

Virgin Galactic today announced that it will now begin its planned enhancement program for VMS Eve and VSS Unity, and will conduct the Unity 23 test flight after this work is complete.

The enhancement program is designed to improve vehicle performance and flight-rate capability for VMS Eve and VSS Unity. In preparation for this work, Virgin Galactic has been performing routine tests and analyses to update its material properties database. This data predicts how materials are expected to perform under certain load and environmental conditions and is used to inform the design and manufacturing enhancements that will support increased flight frequency. One of these recent laboratory-based tests flagged a possible reduction in the strength margins of certain materials used to modify specific joints, and this requires further physical inspection.

As is standard in aerospace test and evaluation practices, Virgin Galactic ships are designed to withstand forces that are substantially higher than those experienced in regular use, providing additional margin and layers of safety. The enhancement program is designed to further increase margins that will enable improved reliability, durability and reduced maintenance requirements when in commercial service. While this new lab test data has had no impact on the vehicles, our test flight protocols have clearly defined strength margins, and further analysis will assess whether any additional work is required to keep them at or above established levels. Given the time required for this effort, the Company has determined the most efficient and expedient path to commercial service is to complete this work now in parallel with the planned enhancement program.

Following the enhancement period, the Company intends to complete the vehicle testing program for VMS Eve and VSS Unity, including the planned research test flight with the Italian Air Force, before starting commercial flights.

Michael Colglazier, Chief Executive Officer of Virgin Galactic, said: “Our decisions are driven by detailed and thorough analysis, and we fly based on the most accurate and comprehensive data available. Virgin Galactic vehicles are designed with significant margins for safety, providing layers of protection that far exceed loads experienced and expected to occur on our flights. The re-sequencing of our enhancement period and the Unity 23 flight underscores our safety-first procedures, provides the most efficient path to commercial service, and is the right approach for our business and our customers. We are deeply appreciative of the Italian Air Force Research Mission and grateful for their continued partnership with us in this test flight program.”

This schedule update is unrelated to the Company’s recent inquiry into a potential defect in a supplier component announced on September 10, 2021, which has been successfully resolved. While the supplied component in question was not on either VMS Eve or VSS Unity, in accordance with safety protocols, Virgin Galactic completed detailed inspections and scans which found all components met quality and safety standards and were ready for flight. The enhancement period is now beginning approximately one month later than anticipated, and commercial service is now expected to commence in Q4 2022.

Source: Virgin Galactic

Photos of the Day #2: Captain Kirk Ventures into the REAL Final Frontier...

Blue Origin

Congratulations to William Shatner and his fellow passengers Chris Boshuizen, Audrey Powers and Glen de Vries on this morning's successful New Shepard launch on Blue Origin's NS-18 flight!

At the age of 90, Shatner is now the oldest individual to have ventured beyond the Kármán line...the internationally-accepted boundary between Earth's atmosphere and space.

With Star Trek's most famous actor now having gotten a taste of actual spaceflight, when will a Star Wars icon like Mark Hamill follow suit?

I'm a bigger fan of that "galaxy far far away" than I am of the United Federation of Planets, so I would really like to know!


Blue Origin


Blue Origin


Blue Origin

Photos of the Day: Orion Is Finally Ready to be Mated to the Space Launch System!

NASA / Kim Shiflett

Last weekend, engineers attached the Orion stage adapter (OSA) to the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida.

This important milestone—which occurred on Saturday, October 9—sets the stage for the Orion spacecraft itself to be mated to NASA's newest Moon rocket inside KSC's Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) within the next week or so.

Now aboard SLS, thanks to the installation of OSA, are 10 CubeSats that will venture into deep space along with Orion after launch.

Originally, there were supposed to be 13 CubeSats that would hitch a ride to the Moon and beyond on the Artemis 1 mission...but unfortunately, 3 CubeSats (including NASA's Lunar Flashlight) were unable to meet the deadline for delivery to KSC.

Within the next several days, Orion will be transported from KSC's Launch Abort System Facility to the VAB to complete assembly of the rocket that will embark on Artemis 1.

Once stacking is finished, the SLS will be rolled over to KSC's Launch Complex 39B to undergo a Wet Dress Rehearsal next month. Artemis 1 is now scheduled to lift off no earlier than January of next year.

Stay tuned!


NASA / Kim Shiflett


NASA / Kim Shiflett


NASA / Kim Shiflett

CST-100 Update: Two Starliner Astronauts Will Now Fly to Space Aboard a Crew Dragon Vehicle Later Next Year...

NASA

NASA Announces Astronaut Changes for Upcoming Commercial Crew Missions (Press Release)

NASA has reassigned astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada to the agency’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission to the International Space Station as part of the Commercial Crew Program.

Mann and Cassada will serve as spacecraft commander and pilot, respectively, for the Crew-5 mission. Additional crew members will be announced later.

Crew-5 is expected to launch no earlier than fall 2022 on a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The duo and their crewmates will join an expedition crew aboard station for a long duration stay to conduct science activities for the benefit of humanity and exploration.

“Nicole and Josh have done a tremendous job pioneering the training and path forward for astronauts to fly on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. They have gained experience that they will take forward as they train to fly in SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft and serve aboard the International Space Station,” said Kathryn Lueders, associate administrator of the Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “The NASA team is fortunate to have two commercial crew partners and will continue to work with Boeing and SpaceX to prepare NASA astronauts and our international partners to fly to and from the International Space Station on U.S. spacecraft.”

Mann and Cassada previously were assigned to missions on NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test and NASA’s Boeing Starliner-1 mission, respectively. NASA decided it was important to make these reassignments to allow Boeing time to complete the development of Starliner while continuing plans for astronauts to gain spaceflight experience for the future needs of the agency’s missions.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore, Mike Fincke, and Suni Williams will continue to provide experience for Boeing as the agency prepares for NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test. Additional Boeing flight assignments will be made in the future.

Mann is a California native and a colonel in the Marine Corps. She earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the United States Naval Academy and a Master of Science in mechanical engineering with a specialty in fluid mechanics from Stanford University. She is an F/A-18 test pilot with more than 2,500 flight hours in more than 25 aircraft. NASA selected Mann as an astronaut in 2013. This will be her first trip to space.

“It has been the opportunity of a lifetime to train on a brand-new spacecraft, the Boeing Starliner, and it has been fantastic to work with the Boeing team,” Mann said. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to train on another new spacecraft – the SpaceX Crew Dragon – and appreciate the teams at NASA who have made that possible. I am ready to fly and serve on the International Space Station.”

Cassada grew up in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, and is a physicist and U.S. Navy test pilot. He attended college in Michigan and then completed his Ph.D. research at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory before becoming a naval aviator. Cassada has accumulated more than 4,000 flight hours in over 45 different aircraft. NASA selected him as an astronaut in 2013. This will be his first spaceflight.

“It has been great to spend the last few years training with the joint Boeing and NASA team, and I am really looking forward to now have a chance to also train with SpaceX on a new spacecraft. Cross training on both programs is a unique opportunity to learn, but also to provide valuable insight to future astronauts flying these spacecraft,” Cassada said. “And, of course, Nicole and I are incredibly excited to get to work aboard the International Space Station, executing current operations and also contributing to future exploration beyond low-earth orbit.”

For more than 20 years, NASA has continuously had astronauts living and working aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and demonstrating new technologies, making research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. As a global endeavor, 242 people from 19 countries have visited the unique microgravity laboratory that has hosted more than 3,000 research and educational investigations from researchers in 108 countries.

The station is a critical testbed for NASA to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight and to expand commercial opportunities in low-Earth orbit. As commercial companies focus on providing human space transportation services and developing a robust low-Earth orbit economy, NASA is free to focus on building spacecraft and rockets for deep space missions to the Moon and Mars.

Source: NASA.Gov

SLS Update: NASA's Newest Launch Vehicle Achieves a Developmental Milestone on Its Way to First Flight...

NASA / Frank Michaux

NASA’s Mega Moon Rocket Passes Key Review for Artemis I Mission (News Release)

NASA has completed the design certification review (DCR) for the Space Launch System Program (SLS) rocket ahead of the Artemis I mission to send the Orion spacecraft to the Moon. The review examined all the SLS systems, all test data, inspection reports, and analyses that support verification, to ensure every aspect of the rocket is technically mature and meets the requirements for SLS’s first flight on Artemis I.

“With this review, NASA has given its final stamp of approval to the entire integrated rocket design and completed the final formal milestone to pass before we move forward to the SLS and Artemis I flight readiness reviews,” said John Honeycutt, the SLS Program Manager who chaired the DCR board held at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

In addition to the rocket’s design, the review certified all reliability and safety analyses, production quality and configuration management systems, and operations manuals across all parts of the rocket, including interfaces with the Orion spacecraft and Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) hardware. With the completion of the SLS DCR, NASA has now certified the SLS and Orion spacecraft designs, as well as the new Launch Control Center at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, for the mission.

The DCR is part of the formal review system NASA employs as a systematic method for manufacturing, testing, and certifying space hardware for flight. The process starts with defining what the rocket needs to do to achieve missions, such as its performance; these are called systems requirements. Throughout this process the design of the hardware is refined and validated by many processes: inspection, analysis, modeling, and testing that ranges from single components to major integrated systems. As the design matures, the team evaluates it during a preliminary design review, then a critical design review, and finally after the hardware is built and tested, the design certification review. The review process culminates with the Artemis I Flight Readiness Review when NASA gives a “go” to proceed with launch.

“We have certified the first NASA super heavy-lift rocket built for human spaceflight in 50 years for missions to the Moon and beyond," said David Beaman, the manager for SLS Systems Engineering and Integration who led the review team. “NASA’s mature processes and testing philosophy help us ask the right questions, so we can design and build a rocket that is powerful, safe, and makes the boldest missions possible.”

Artemis I will be the first integrated flight test of the SLS and Orion spacecraft. In later Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the surface of the Moon, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone on the way to Mars.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Ben Smegelsky

Photo of the Day: The Inspiration4 Astronauts Have Received Their Wings!

Inspiration4

Congratulations to Inspiration4 crewmembers Christopher Sembroski, Dr. Sian Proctor, Jared Isaacman and Hayley Arceneaux for receiving their astronaut wings yesterday!

The all-private crew received its dragon-shaped award during a visit to SpaceX Headquarters in Hawthorne, California...in a surprise ceremony held by the company's employees.

It remains to be seen if the Federal Aviation Administration will bestow its own commercial astronaut wings onto the Inspiration4 crewmembers—since they were designated as 'spaceflight participants' by SpaceX (due to FAA regulation) while the mission was being conceived earlier this year.

In the meantime, these four pioneers should celebrate the fact that they'll hopefully be the first group of many who'll receive this beautiful recognition by SpaceX after flying aboard its Crew Dragon (and someday Starship) vehicle on a journey above the Earth and beyond. That is all.