ISS Update: Astronauts Will Ride Crew Dragons to the Orbital Outpost Until 2030...

NASA

NASA Awards SpaceX More Crew Flights to Space Station (News Release)

NASA has awarded five additional missions to Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) of Hawthorne, California, for crew transportation services to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) contract. The CCtCap modification brings the total missions for SpaceX to 14 and allows NASA to maintain an uninterrupted U.S. capability for human access to the space station until 2030, with two unique commercial crew industry partners.

This is a firm fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract modification for the Crew-10, Crew-11, Crew-12, Crew-13 and Crew-14 flights. The value of this modification for all five missions and related mission services is $1,436,438,446. The amount includes ground, launch, in-orbit, and return and recovery operations, cargo transportation for each mission, and a lifeboat capability while docked to the International Space Station. The period of performance runs through 2030 and brings the total CCtCap contract value with SpaceX to $4,927,306,350.

The award follows the agency issuing a notice of intent in June 2022 to purchase the additional missions. The current sole source modification does not preclude NASA from seeking future contract modifications for additional transportation services, as needed.

In 2014, NASA awarded the CCtCap contracts to Boeing and SpaceX through a public-private partnership as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Under CCtCap, NASA certifies that a provider’s space transportation system meets the agency’s requirements prior to flying missions with astronauts.

SpaceX was certified by NASA for crew transportation in November 2020. The company's fourth crew rotation mission for the agency, the Crew-4 mission, is currently in orbit at the space station. As part of the missions, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket transport up to four astronauts, along with critical cargo, to the space station.

Source: NASA.Gov

The Space Launch System's Maiden Flight Is Now Scheduled for Next Saturday...

NASA / Joel Kowsky

NASA Targets Sept. 3 for Next Artemis I Moon Mission Launch Attempt (News Release)

NASA will target Saturday, September 3 at 2:17 p.m. EDT, the beginning of a two-hour window, for the launch of Artemis I, the first integrated test of NASA’s Orion spacecraft, Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the ground systems at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Mission managers met Tuesday to discuss data and develop a forward plan to address issues that arose during an August 29 launch attempt for the flight test. During that launch attempt, teams were not able to chill down the four RS-25 engines to approximately -420°F, with engine 3 showing higher temperatures than the other engines. Teams also saw a hydrogen leak on a component of the tail service mast umbilical quick disconnect, called the purge can, and managed the leak by manually adjusting propellant flow rates.

In the coming days, teams will modify and practice propellant-loading procedures to follow a procedure similar to what was successfully performed during the Green Run at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. The updated procedures would perform the chilldown test of the engines, also called the kickstart bleed test, about 30 to 45 minutes earlier in the countdown during the liquid hydrogen fast-fill liquid phase for the core stage.

Teams are also configuring platforms at Launch Complex 39B to enable engineers access to the purge can on the tail service mast umbilical. Once access is established, technicians will perform assessments and torque connection points where necessary.

Meteorologists with the U.S. Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45 predict favorable weather conditions for Saturday. While rain showers are expected, they are predicted to be sporadic during the launch window.

The mission management team will reconvene Thursday to review data and overall readiness.

Source: NASA.Gov

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The Artemis 1 Launch Is Called Off Due to Engine and Hydrogen Valve Issues During the Countdown...

NASA / Joel Kowsky

Engineers Assess Data After Scrub, Mission Managers to Meet Tuesday Afternoon (News Release)

Engineers are evaluating data gathered during the Artemis I launch attempt Monday, August 29, when teams could not get the rocket’s engines to the proper temperature range required to start the engines at liftoff, and ran out of time in the two-hour launch window to continue. The mission management team will convene Tuesday afternoon to discuss the data and develop a plan forward.

The Space Launch System’s four RS-25 engines must be thermally conditioned before super cold propellant begins flowing through them for liftoff. Launch controllers condition them by increasing the pressure on the core stage liquid hydrogen tank to route, or “bleed” as it is often called, a portion of the approximately -423°F liquid hydrogen to the engines. Managers suspect the issue, seen on engine 3, is unlikely to be the result of a problem with the engine itself.

During the countdown, launch controllers worked through several additional issues, including storms in the area that delayed the start of propellant-loading operations, a leak at the quick disconnect on the 8-inch line used to fill and drain core stage liquid hydrogen, and a hydrogen leak from a valve used to vent the propellant from the core stage intertank.

NASA will host a media teleconference Tuesday, August 30, at approximately 6 p.m. EDT to provide an update on data analysis and discussions. The time is subject to change. While managers have not yet set a date for the next launch attempt, the earliest possible opportunity is Friday, September 2, during a two-hour launch window that opens at 12:48 p.m.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Joel Kowsky

It's Artemis Eve! The Latest Launch Update for NASA's First Moon Rocket in 50 Years...

Boeing Space

Countdown Continues, Teams Confirm No Impacts from Lightning Strikes (News Release)

Overnight engineers evaluated data from lightning strikes to the lightning protection system at Launch Complex 39B that occurred yesterday. They confirmed the strikes were of low magnitude and had no impacts to the Space Launch System, Orion or ground systems.

Meteorologists with the U.S. Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45 predict an 80% chance of favorable weather conditions at the beginning of the two-hour launch window that opens at 8:33 a.m. EDT August 29, with a 60% chance of favorable weather conditions toward the later part of the window. The primary weather concern for the two-hour launch window remains scattered rain showers. The weather guidelines for NASA’s Artemis I flight test identify conditions to launch the agency’s Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft.

Overnight teams also powered up the Space Launch System rocket’s core stage, charged Orion and core stage batteries, and conducted final preparations on the umbilicals. A pre-launch walkdown are continuing at the launch pad this morning. Teams will continue working their way through the countdown today, including powering up the interim cryogenic propulsion stage and conducting planned health checks on Orion systems.

Live coverage of tanking operations will begin at midnight on NASA Television, the agency’s website and the NASA app. Full launch coverage begin at 6:30 a.m. EDT on NASA Television and the agency’s website, as well as YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitch, Daily Motion, Theta.TV and the NASA app.

The uncrewed flight test will test SLS and Orion as an integrated system, demonstrating the performance of the rocket and testing the spacecraft’s capabilities as it journeys about 40,000 miles beyond the Moon over the course of about six weeks.

The first in an increasingly complex series of missions, Artemis I will pave the way for long-term lunar exploration, providing the foundation for extending human presence to the Moon and beyond.

Source: NASA.Gov

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The Artemis 1 Countdown Officially Begins as Stormy Weather Persists at Cape Canaveral 2 Days Before Launch...

NASA / Keegan Barber

Team Assessing Lightning Strikes to Towers at Launch Pad (News Release)

As the Artemis I countdown progresses, rain and thunderstorms have continued throughout the afternoon at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Earlier this afternoon, there were three lightning strikes to the lightning protection system towers at Launch Complex 39B – a strike to Tower 1, and two strikes to Tower 2.

Initial indications are that the strikes were of low magnitude. A weather team has begun an assessment that includes collecting voltage and current data, as well as imagery. The data will be shared with a team of experts on electromagnetic environment efforts who will determine if any constraints on vehicle or ground systems were violated.

Engineers will conduct a walkdown at the pad tonight, and if needed, conduct additional assessments with subsystems experts.

Overnight, engineers also will conduct preparations on the umbilicals, power up the core stage, and begin charging the Orion and Space Launch System core stage batteries.

The lightning protection system at the launch pad includes three 600-foot-tall towers and catenary wires positioned to protect the rocket, spacecraft, and mobile launcher. The wires run to the ground almost diagonally, steering the lightning current away from the rocket.

Source: NASA.Gov

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The #Artemis I launch countdown started this morning at @NASAKennedy. The two-hour @NASA_SLS launch window opens at 8:33 a.m. ET on Aug. 29.

Learn more: https://t.co/Hzdf441qqK pic.twitter.com/tO8GMR01uq

— Boeing Space (@BoeingSpace) August 27, 2022

CST-100 Update: Starliner's Next Flight, with Astronauts Onboard, is Targeted for Early 2023...

Samantha Cristoforetti

NASA, Boeing Prepare for Crew Flight Test (News Release - August 25)

NASA and Boeing are targeting an early February 2023 launch for the first CST-100 Starliner flight with astronauts to the International Space Station.

Preparations are underway for the launch of NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test (CFT) as teams work to ready the hardware, crew, and mission support teams for flight as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

Two NASA astronaut test pilots, Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Suni Williams, will fly on CFT to the space station, where they will live and work for approximately eight days. Mission and crew support teams and the CFT astronauts are continuing with preparations and training. NASA and Boeing teams recently conducted an integrated crew exercise to rehearse the prelaunch timeline and responses to various launch event scenarios. In the coming weeks, Wilmore and Williams will don their spacesuits and climb aboard their crew module to check out the vehicle systems and interfaces that support their health and safety.

Refurbishment of the CFT crew module following the first Orbital Flight Test in December 2019 is progressing. Its external shell and thermal protection system will be completed next, followed by preflight checks to finalize the crew module build and test phase. Production of a new service module also is progressing, with teams wrapping up acceptance testing of the thermal control system, installing the pressurant system and integrating the propulsion system. This service module incorporates the same valve mitigations as the OFT-2 spacecraft. That purge system performed as needed during OFT-2 and a similar system has been implemented into the service module for CFT as a preventative measure. Once both the crew module and service module are completed, the two will be mated for flight.

During OFT-2, which launched May 19, Starliner spent six days in space, orbited the Earth 94 times and covered a total distance of 2,467,406 miles. Starliner achieved all flight test objectives and mission operations demonstrations, including rendezvous and docking maneuvers and the ability to execute an abort if needed once in the vicinity of the space station. Additionally, Starliner had a normal launch, trajectory, orbital insertion, and approach, rendezvous and docking with space station.

Throughout the OFT-2 data reviews, the team has verified Starliner’s subsystems performed as needed during the flight. This included environmental control and life support, landing, power, guidance navigation and control, docking and ascent abort emergency detection system validation, and atmospheric entry with aero-deceleration.

NASA and Boeing also are working to close out the OFT-2 in-flight anomalies prior to Starliner’s next flight with astronauts. Those include the early shutoff of some thrusters and a cooling loop anomaly. System enhancements to improve crew interfaces and streamline spacecraft operations are also planned.

For the crewed flight, Boeing’s Starliner will launch on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Following a successful CFT mission, NASA will begin the final process of certifying the Starliner spacecraft and systems for crew missions to the space station. Regular commercial crew-rotation missions enable NASA to continue the important research and technology investigations taking place aboard the orbiting laboratory. Such research benefits people on Earth and lays the groundwork for future exploration. As part of Artemis, NASA will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future human exploration of Mars. Inspiring the next generation of explorers – the Artemis Generation – ensures America will continue to lead in space exploration and discovery.

Source: StarlinerUpdates.com

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NASA / Joel Kowsky

T-Minus 4 DAYS Till Artemis 1 Takes Flight...

NASA / Kim Shiflett

Launch Preparations Remain on Track, Weather 70% Favorable (News Release)

Engineers continue to prepare NASA’s mega-Moon rocket, Orion spacecraft, and ground systems for the Artemis I launch. The two-hour launch window opens at 8:33 a.m. EDT on Monday, August 29.

At Launch Complex 39B, technicians completed servicing the hydraulic power units on the Space Launch System rocket’s boosters Wednesday. After finishing final work inside the Orion crew module, including loading the Snoopy zero-gravity indicator and removing soft covers protecting Orion’s windows and seats, the crew module hatch was closed at approximately 3:30 a.m. Thursday. Next, engineers will close the launch abort system hatch and retract the crew access arm used to provide access to the spacecraft. Booster and core stage engine service platforms as well as side flame deflectors have been moved into position for launch.

Meteorologists with the U.S. Space Force Space Launch Delta 45 currently predict a 70% chance of favorable weather conditions for launch on August 29. The primary weather concern for the two-hour launch window is scattered rain showers. A list of launch weather criteria is available here.

NASA is providing a live stream of the rocket and spacecraft at the pad. The countdown is set to officially begin at 10:23 a.m. on Saturday, August 27.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Josh Valcarcel

Image of the Day: NASA and CSA Astronauts Visit Their Future Ride to the Moon...

NASA / Josh Valcarcel

Photo Release - August 22

Astronauts and astronaut candidates pose for a photo at Launch Complex 39B after arriving in their T-38 jets in support of Artemis I launch operations at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

From Left: Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Jeremy Hansen, NASA Astronauts Drew Morgan, Christina Koch, NASA Astronaut Candidates Nicole Ayers, Jack Hathaway, NASA Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Zena Cardman, NASA Pilot Chris Condon, NASA Astronaut Joe Acaba.

Source: NASA.Gov

A Privately-Made 'Microgravity Factory' Moves One Step Closer to Reality...

Amazon Supply Chain / Amazon Web Services / ASU / Boeing / Genesis Engineering Solutions / Redwire Space

Sierra Space and Blue Origin Successfully Complete Orbital Reef System Definition Review (Press Release - August 22)

Orbital Reef Space Station Advances to Design Phase After NASA Review

LOUISVILLE, Colo. and KENT, Wash. – The Orbital Reef team, led by partners Sierra Space and Blue Origin, has successfully completed its System Definition Review (SDR) with NASA.

The SDR is an important program milestone to establish the functional baseline for Orbital Reef, a commercially developed, owned and operated space station to be built in low-Earth orbit (LEO). It demonstrates to NASA that the space station design is feasible and achievable while validating that the Orbital Reef system is on-track to proceed into the design phase.

The Orbital Reef team, including Amazon Supply Chain, Amazon Web Services, Arizona State University, Boeing, Genesis Engineering Solutions and Redwire Space, is maturing the design of its space station in partnership with NASA under the agency’s Commercial Low-Earth Orbit Development (CLDP) program. NASA awarded the agreement in December 2021 to shift NASA’s research and exploration activities in LEO to commercial space stations and help stimulate a growing space economy.

The SDR included an extensive review to ensure that the proposed Orbital Reef architecture is responsive to the functional and performance requirements; it examined the proposed system architecture and the flow-down to all functional elements of the Orbital Reef system. The successful SDR supported NASA’s decision to further develop the system architecture and design. Representatives from Blue Origin, Sierra Space, team members, and NASA participated in the review, conducted between mid-June and mid-July to allow in-depth review of documentation and feedback to the team.

“We are on the doorstep of the most profound industrial revolution in human history. An industrial revolution marked by the transition from the last 60 years of space exploration to a future where humanity extends our factories and cities into space. It isn’t solely about tourism – it is about unlocking the next great discoveries using the microgravity factories that we will build just 250 miles above the Earth’s surface,” said Tom Vice, CEO of Sierra Space. “The microgravity factories and services provided by Orbital Reef have the potential to revolutionize every industry and become a major growth contributor to the U.S. and world economies.”

“This SDR moves Orbital Reef forward,” said Brent Sherwood, Senior Vice President of Advanced Development Programs at Blue Origin. “We are meeting the needs of both the commercial marketplace and NASA’s requirements. Orbital Reef will change the game for human spaceflight in Earth orbit.”

Orbital Reef 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. Designed to open multiple new markets in space, Orbital Reef will provide anyone with the opportunity to establish their own address in orbit. This unique destination will offer research, industrial, international, and commercial customers the cost-competitive end-to-end services that they need including space transportation and logistics, space habitation, equipment accommodation and operations including onboard crew. The station is expected to be operational by 2027.

Source: Sierra Space

T-Minus 7 DAYS and Counting... SLS Has Officially Been Cleared to Launch Next Week!

Artemis I Flight Readiness Review Concludes; NASA “Go” for August 29 Launch, Briefing Set for 8 P.M. (News Release)

The Flight Readiness Review for NASA’s Artemis I mission has concluded, and teams are proceeding toward a two-hour launch window that opens at 8:33 a.m. EDT Monday, August 29, from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39B in Florida. NASA will hold a media conference at approximately 8 p.m. to discuss the outcome of the review. Listen live on the agency’s website.

Participants in the teleconference are:

- Janet Petro, director, Kennedy Space Center
- Bob Cabana, associate administrator, NASA Headquarters
- Jim Free, associate administrator for Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
- Mike Sarafin, Artemis mission manager, NASA Headquarters
- Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis launch director, Exploration Ground Systems Program, Kennedy
- Howard Hu, Orion Program manager, Johnson Space Center in Houston
- Chris Cianciola, Space Launch System Program deputy manager, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center

More details about the mission and Artemis can be found in the press kit, or by following the Artemis blog.

Source: NASA.Gov

Later this month, @NASA will launch Artemis I—the first in a series of missions that will return American astronauts to the Moon, including the first woman and person of color. We have incredible opportunities in space.

— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) August 20, 2022

⏱ARTEMIS I LAUNCH COUNTDOWN: L-7 Days. pic.twitter.com/doI4wvopVv

— NASA's Exploration Ground Systems (@NASAGroundSys) August 22, 2022

We are "GO"ing!

The FRR for #Artemis I has concluded, and teams are proceeding toward a two-hour launch window that opens at 8:33 a.m. EDT August 29. @NASA will hold a media conference at approximately 8 p.m. to discuss the review. Listen live >> https://t.co/iQyv2w1J7E pic.twitter.com/yptnrW9DhR

— NASA_SLS (@NASA_SLS) August 22, 2022

Photogrammetry to Play a Major Role During the Space Launch System's First Flight...

NASA / Kim Shiflett

Markings on SLS Provide a Different View of the Artemis I Launch (News Release - August 15)

When NASA’s Artemis I mission launches later this year, thousands of cameras will capture the historic first flight of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft.

Some cameras, though, are focused on carefully-placed markings on the rocket, spacecraft, and mobile launcher. These cameras aim to capture portions of the countdown and launch and will provide valuable data to engineering teams following launch and flight.

A variety of black-and-white patterns are painted on the rocket and spacecraft and used as targets for the cameras. Some designs, like the checkered rings on each solid rocket booster, are used by cameras on the rocket. In the case of the black ring below the nose cone on the left-hand solid rocket booster, it allows the engineers to easily distinguish the right booster from the left since the vehicle is very symmetric and some of the cameras will have a tight field of view. Other patterns, though, are best viewed at a distance.

“If you look at the SLS core stage and the twin solid rocket boosters, launch pad, and launch tower, you will see alternating black and white squares that appear like checkerboard patterns,” said Beth St. Peter, SLS imagery integration team lead at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. “Each marking has a specific purpose. In general, the markings are used to precisely measure motion during dynamic events during liftoff and separation. With specific cameras, we will track those crosshairs of the markings and form “triangles” of multiple patterns to help with our post-flight reconstruction analysis tasks.”

Critical events, such as solid rocket booster separation from the core stage, will be closely studied and compared with computer model simulations.

“Imagery and data we collect will help validate the computer models, and we might even find that we can relax some of the constraints based on the photogrammetry data,” St. Peter said.

The shape of each pattern is also important. Squares and rectangles provide sharp edges, which allow computer software to precisely determine pixel edges and, by extraction, movement of those pixels. Black and white patterns are used because the two colors provide the most contrast, which helps ensure the teams are tracking the same point over time and also from multiple cameras.

During the wet dress rehearsal activities, St. Peter and her team carefully watched numerous camera angles to ensure the rocket was not experiencing too much stress as more than 730,000 gallons of super-cooled liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen were loaded into the rocket’s propellant tanks.

Placing the markings on the rocket, spacecraft, and mobile launcher is almost a science itself. Some photogrammetric markings are located on known sightlines from previously-installed cameras around the launch pad. The markings also have to be placed where extreme cold from propellants or extreme heat from launch will not affect them.

Photogrammetry will be important when the interim cryogenic propulsion stage and Orion separate from the empty core stage and launch vehicle stage adapter. Separation will be monitored with a different kind of technology.

“Instead of using painted markings, we’re using retroreflector markings,” St. Peter said. “These reflectors will direct light bounced off them to the source -- in this case, an onboard camera which has a light source. Retroreflectors are perfect in low-light and changing light conditions like what we experience during this key separation event.”

As NASA continues to launch and fly SLS on increasingly complex missions, the markings on SLS will evolve. Artemis II and Artemis III will also fly the first configuration of SLS, known as Block 1, and the markings will remain similar to those on the Artemis I rocket. On Artemis II, astronauts will use additional markings with reflective targets on the ICPS and Orion stage adapter to fly Orion and test out its handling capabilities during a rendezvous and proximity operations demonstration.

Beginning on Artemis IV, the second configuration of SLS -- known as Block 1B -- will feature a more powerful upper stage that replaces the ICPS. Block 2, debuting on the ninth flight of SLS, will feature newly-designed advanced solid rocket boosters.

A picture is worth a thousand words. For engineers building, launching, and flying the rocket that will enable NASA’s next era of space exploration, a photo is worth a thousand data points. Data points that will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon and send humanity further out into the solar system than ever before.

Source: NASA.Gov

Artemis 3 Update: 13 Potential Landing Areas Are Identified for the First Crewed Mission to the Lunar Surface Since 1972...

NASA

NASA Identifies Candidate Regions for Landing Next Americans on Moon (Press Release)

As NASA prepares to send astronauts back to the Moon under Artemis, the agency has identified 13 candidate landing regions near the lunar South Pole. Each region contains multiple potential landing sites for Artemis III, which will be the first of the Artemis missions to bring crew to the lunar surface, including the first woman to set foot on the Moon.

“Selecting these regions means we are one giant leap closer to returning humans to the Moon for the first time since Apollo,” said Mark Kirasich, deputy associate administrator for the Artemis Campaign Development Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “When we do, it will be unlike any mission that’s come before as astronauts venture into dark areas previously unexplored by humans and lay the groundwork for future long-term stays.”

NASA identified the following candidate regions for an Artemis III lunar landing:

- Faustini Rim A
- Peak Near Shackleton
- Connecting Ridge
- Connecting Ridge Extension
- de Gerlache Rim 1
- de Gerlache Rim 2
- de Gerlache-Kocher Massif
- Haworth
- Malapert Massif
- Leibnitz Beta Plateau
- Nobile Rim 1
- Nobile Rim 2
- Amundsen Rim

Each of these regions is located within six degrees of latitude of the lunar South Pole and, collectively, contain diverse geologic features. Together, the regions provide landing options for all potential Artemis III launch opportunities. Specific landing sites are tightly coupled to the timing of the launch window, so multiple regions ensure flexibility to launch throughout the year.

To select the regions, an agency-wide team of scientists and engineers assessed the area near the lunar South Pole using data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and decades of publications and lunar science findings. In addition to considering launch window availability, the team evaluated regions based on their ability to accommodate a safe landing, using criteria including terrain slope, ease of communications with Earth, and lighting conditions. To determine accessibility, the team also considered combined capabilities of the Space Launch System rocket, the Orion spacecraft, and the SpaceX-provided Starship human landing system.

All regions considered are scientifically significant because of their proximity to the lunar South Pole, which is an area that contains permanently-shadowed regions rich in resources and in terrain unexplored by humans.

“Several of the proposed sites within the regions are located among some of the oldest parts of the Moon, and together with the permanently-shadowed regions, provide the opportunity to learn about the history of the Moon through previously unstudied lunar materials,” said Sarah Noble, Artemis lunar science lead for NASA’s Planetary Science Division.

The analysis team weighed other landing criteria with specific Artemis III science objectives, including the goal to land close enough to a permanently-shadowed region to allow crew to conduct a moonwalk, while limiting disturbance when landing. This will allow crew to collect samples and conduct scientific analysis in an uncompromised area, yielding important information about the depth, distribution, and composition of water ice that was confirmed at the Moon’s South Pole.

The team identified regions that can fulfill the moonwalk objective by ensuring proximity to permanently-shadowed regions, and also factored in other lighting conditions. All 13 regions contain sites that provide continuous access to sunlight throughout a 6.5-day period – the planned duration of the Artemis III surface mission. Access to sunlight is critical for a long-term stay at the Moon because it provides a power source and minimizes temperature variations.

“Developing a blueprint for exploring the solar system means learning how to use resources that are available to us while also preserving their scientific integrity”, said Jacob Bleacher, chief exploration scientist for NASA. “Lunar water ice is valuable from a scientific perspective and also as a resource, because from it we can extract oxygen and hydrogen for life-support systems and fuel.”

NASA will discuss the 13 regions with broader science and engineering communities through conferences and workshops to solicit input about the merits of each region. This feedback will inform site selections in the future, and NASA may identify additional regions for consideration. The agency will also continue to work with SpaceX to confirm Starship’s landing capabilities and assess the options accordingly.

NASA will select sites within regions for Artemis III after it identifies the mission’s target launch dates, which dictate transfer trajectories and surface environment conditions.

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

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SpaceX

NASA Is Selecting Potential Sites for the First Crewed Lunar Landing in Over 50 Years...

SpaceX

NASA to Announce Candidate Landing Regions for Artemis III Moon Mission (Press Release - August 17)

NASA will hold a media teleconference at 2 p.m. EDT Friday, August 19, to announce regions near the lunar South Pole the agency has identified as potential areas for astronauts to land as part of the Artemis III mission, targeted for 2025. This will be the first time astronauts will set foot on the Moon since NASA’s Apollo 17 mission in 1972.

Audio of the briefing will livestream on NASA’s website.

Within each region, there are several potential landing sites. Each of the selected regions, from which specific landing sites could be selected, is of scientific interest and was evaluated based on terrain, communications, and lighting conditions, as well as ability to meet science objectives. NASA will engage with the broader science community in the coming months to discuss the merits of each region.

Teleconference participants include:

- Mark Kirasich, deputy associate administrator for the Artemis Campaign Development Division, NASA Headquarters
- Jacob Bleacher, chief exploration scientist, NASA Headquarters
- Sarah Noble, Artemis lunar science lead, Planetary Science Division, NASA Headquarters
- Prasun Desai, deputy associate administrator for the Space Technology Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters

Media who want to participate by telephone must RSVP no later than two hours prior to the start of the event to: vanessa.c.lloyd@nasa.gov

Through Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone to send astronauts to Mars. NASA selected SpaceX’s Starship to provide the human landing system to deliver crew from lunar orbit to the surface of the Moon during Artemis III, which is the first Artemis mission to involve a crewed lunar landing.

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Full duration 20 second static fire of Super Heavy Booster 7 pic.twitter.com/5bSVKY1HUA

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 11, 2022

Orion Has Completed the First 4.2 Miles of Its Journey to the Moon...

NASA / Joel Kowsky

Artemis I Moon Rocket Arrives at Launch Pad Ahead of Historic Mission (News Release)

Around 7:30 a.m. EDT the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft for the Artemis I mission arrived atop Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida after a nearly 10-hour journey from the Vehicle Assembly Building.

In the coming days, engineers and technicians will configure systems at the pad for launch, which is currently targeted for no earlier than August 29 at 8:33 a.m. (2-hour launch window). Teams have worked to refine operations and procedures and have incorporated lessons learned from the wet dress rehearsal test campaign and have updated the launch timeline accordingly.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Joel Kowsky


NASA / Joel Kowsky


NASA / Joel Kowsky

Artemis 1 Update: The Orion Spacecraft Has Begun the First 4.2 Miles of Its Journey to the Moon!

NASA / Joel Kowsky

Just thought I'd share these awesome photos of NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket rolling out of Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) in Florida, hopefully for the final time, over four hours ago.

First motion of the crawler-transporter carrying SLS, the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle and their mobile launcher [which all weigh a combined 21.4 million pounds (9.7 million kilograms)] out of the VAB was at 6:55 PM, PDT (9:55 PM, EDT). It should take around 8 hours for SLS to venture 4.2 miles (6.8 kilometers) to the pad at Launch Complex 39B and begin its final preps for flight.

The launch of Artemis 1 remains on schedule for 5:33 AM, PDT (8:33 AM, EDT) on Monday, August 29...with Monday, September 5 being the last possible day in this opening window that SLS and Orion can set course for the Moon.

Here's hoping that August 29 will be the day that the Artemis era, and a new period in deep-space crewed exploration, truly begins. Happy Tuesday!


NASA / Joel Kowsky


NASA / Joel Kowsky


NASA / Joel Kowsky


NASA / Joel Kowsky


NASA / Joel Kowsky

The Space Launch System Will Return to KSC's Pad 39B Two Days Ahead of Schedule!

NASA

Artemis I Moon Rocket Ready to Roll to the Launch Pad (News Release)

Engineers and technicians at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida have completed the final testing and checkouts of the Artemis I Moon rocket ahead of rolling to Launch Complex 39B. NASA is targeting as soon as 9 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, August 16 for rollout ahead of a targeted August 29 launch.

The crawler-transporter rolled inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) and under the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft earlier today. Teams are currently working to prepare the integrated stack for rollout.

Over the weekend the team completed testing of the flight termination system, which marked the final major activity prior to closing out the rocket and retracting the final access platforms in the VAB.

The agency will provide a live stream of the rollout beginning at 3 p.m. EDT Tuesday, August 16 on the NASA Kennedy YouTube channel.

Source: NASA.Gov

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The @NASA Crawler Transporter 2 is headed to the VAB; to prepare for the rollout of #Artemis I, now scheduled for TOMORROW! #WeAreGoing pic.twitter.com/bYZheKnjyN

— Sean (@planetdeimos) August 15, 2022

Crawler-transporter 2 on the move this morning to High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at @NASAKennedy. The mammoth vehicle will soon roll into the High Bay and take its place under @NASA_SLS & @NASA_Orion for tomorrow's move to Launch Pad 39B. Stay tuned. pic.twitter.com/laHtITNQ0r

— NASA's Exploration Ground Systems (@NASAGroundSys) August 15, 2022

Crawler-transporter 2 has just arrived in front of the Vehicle Assembly Building gate! pic.twitter.com/PhojsRjxFn

— NASA's Exploration Ground Systems (@NASAGroundSys) August 15, 2022

High-speed time lapse of the crawler-transporter 2 approaching High Bay 3 just now. In just a bit we will be offering a short live presentation of the roll into the Vehicle Assembly Building on Facebook at https://t.co/toAgAIB9cv pic.twitter.com/SIGIIrHB6j

— NASA's Exploration Ground Systems (@NASAGroundSys) August 15, 2022

Photos of crawler-transporter 2 from today's roll to the Vehicle Assembly Building document the first move towards the launch of Artemis I, targeted for Aug. 29. The launch will mark the beginning of humanity's return to the Moon.
Photos: NASA/Sean Cannon pic.twitter.com/qbhmJ3p8IS

— NASA's Exploration Ground Systems (@NASAGroundSys) August 15, 2022

Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, @NASA's Artemis I Launch Director, has officially given the 'go' to proceed with roll to the pad.
Tomorrow, teams will roll @NASA_SLS and @NASA_Orion to Launch Pad 39B where Charlie will oversee the launch on Aug. 29. pic.twitter.com/3NVth3zxlH

— NASA's Exploration Ground Systems (@NASAGroundSys) August 15, 2022

Photos of the Day: Work Continues on the Permanent Home for the Retired Space Shuttle Endeavour...

Last Tuesday, I drove down to the California Science Center near downtown Los Angeles to check out the progress being made on the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center...which will be the final home for the retired space shuttle orbiter Endeavour.

Construction on the new exhibit began over two months ago, with workers still digging trenches and prepping the foundation for the $400 million building.

While the Air and Space Center won't open to the public till 2025, Endeavour herself will be relocated from the Samuel Oschin Pavilion—her current home—to the Air and Space Center's construction site in late 2023.

As you can see in this entry, I took a couple of photos of Endeavour's future home as well as an image of the orbiter still sitting pretty inside her current one at the Science Center. I've also posted pictures of a Space Shuttle Main Engine—which will fly aboard NASA's Space Launch System rocket under a new designation, the RS-25—and the external fuel tank ET-94 at the pavilion.

I plan on returning to the Science Center sometime next year to take more progress photos of this exciting construction project. Happy Sunday!

Construction Continues on the Core Stage Booster That Will Fly on the Third SLS Flight...

NASA / Michael DeMocker

NASA Completed Welding of Artemis III Core Stage Tank Dome (Photo Release - July 29)

Teams completed the welding of the Artemis III core stage liquid oxygen tank dome at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. Crews moved the dome, which is the top of the tank. The dome was moved to an assembly area where it will be loaded into a robotic welder that will join it with the forward barrel to create half of the liquid oxygen tank.

Later another barrel and dome will be added to complete the entire tank.

The Space Launch System (SLS) core stage liquid oxygen tank holds 196,000 gallons of super-cooled liquid propellant that serves as one of the propellants for the four RS-25 engines. The SLS core stage is made up of five unique elements: the forward skirt, liquid oxygen tank, intertank, liquid hydrogen tank, and engine section.

The liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen tank will provide propellant to the four RS-25 engines to produce more than two million pounds of thrust to help launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and supplies beyond Earth’s orbit to the Moon.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Michael DeMocker


NASA / Michael DeMocker


NASA / Michael DeMocker

Only 6 DAYS Before the Space Launch System Returns to Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39B for Flight...

NASA

Teams Work Final Preparations for Rollout of Artemis I Moon Rocket (News Release)

Engineers are conducting the last integrated test before the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft roll out to Launch Complex 39B next week for the launch of the Artemis I flight test. This week, teams began the second part of the flight termination system (FTS) test. The first part of the test was conducted earlier this year prior to the wet dress rehearsal.

For safety purposes, all rockets are required to have a system that the Space Launch Delta 45 can use to terminate the flight if necessary. Following completion of the FTS testing, the Eastern Range requires SLS to launch within a certain timeframe. In order to meet the August 29 launch attempt and backup attempts on September 2 and 5, NASA has received an extension from the Space Launch Delta 45 on the validation of the FTS from 20 to 25 days before the system would need to be retested. The waiver will be valid throughout the Artemis I launch attempts.

Once the flight termination system testing is complete, teams will complete final closeouts on SLS and Orion before it rolls out of the Vehicle Assembly Building, including closing out the core stage and solid rocket boosters and retracting the remaining access platforms. The Orion crew module and launch abort system hatches were closed earlier this week, and Orion is in the final preparations for roll.

The Matroshka AstroRad Radiation Experiment torsos, Helga and Zohar, outfitted with sensors to measure radiation levels future crews will be exposed to, have joined Commander Campos and are now installed inside the Orion spacecraft. The final payloads, including the agency’s Biology Experiment-1, will be installed once the rocket and spacecraft are at the pad for launch.

The agency is targeting Thursday, August 18 to roll SLS and the Orion spacecraft to the spaceport’s Launch Complex 39B, and will provide a live stream beginning at 6 p.m. EDT Wednesday, August 17 on the NASA Kennedy YouTube channel.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA

CST-100 Update: Looking Ahead to the Capsule's First Crewed Flight to the ISS...

Samantha Cristoforetti

NASA, Boeing to Hold Media Update on Starliner Progress (Press Release)

NASA and Boeing will host a media teleconference at 1 p.m. EDT Thursday, Aug. 25, to provide an update on the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test (CFT) to the International Space Station – the first flight with astronauts on the company’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft.

Leadership on the call will also discuss data reviews from Boeing’s uncrewed Orbital Flight Test-2 to the space station, which was successfully completed in May 2022.

The briefing participants are:

- Kathryn Lueders, associate administrator, NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
- Steve Stich, manager, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center
- Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager, CST-100 Starliner, Boeing

To participate in the call, media must RSVP to: ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov no later than one hour prior to the start of the event. Audio of the teleconference will livestream on NASA’s website.

CFT will demonstrate the ability of Starliner and the United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket to safely carry astronauts to and from the International Space Station. NASA will fly two astronaut test pilots, Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Suni Williams, on the flight test to the space station, where they will live and work off the Earth for about two weeks.

Following a successful test flight with astronauts, NASA will begin the final process of certifying the Starliner spacecraft and systems for regular crew rotation flights to the space station.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Joel Kowsky

Photos of the Day: Starship 24 and Booster 7 Roar to Life at Starbase, Texas...

SpaceX

Just thought I'd share these two images of Starship Serial No. 24 (SN24) and Super Heavy Booster 7 conducting separate static fires at Starbase in Texas a few hours ago.

Booster 7 was actually the first of the two flight hardware to be tested today...with a single Raptor 2 engine (among 33 engines at the base of the vehicle) being ignited as the rocket sat atop its pedestal at the Orbital Launch Site.

Less than three hours later, SN24 fired two of its 6 Raptor 2 engines as the prototype spacecraft sat nearby at Starbase's suborbital site.

While it appears likely that Starship Super Heavy will embark on its much-anticipated orbital test flight before the end of this year, it is unknown as to how many of the 75 actions that SpaceX needs to take in response to the FAA's Programmatic Environmental Assessment almost two months ago have already been mitigated. Stay tuned.


SpaceX

L-Minus 24 DAYS Till the Maiden Flight of the Space Launch System!

NASA

Artemis I: Final Stage of Moon Rocket Preparations Underway (News Release)

As NASA’s first launch attempt for Artemis I approaches, teams are ahead of schedule to complete final checks and closeouts of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA is targeting launch on August 29 during a two-hour launch window that opens at 8:33 a.m. EDT, with backup opportunities on September 2 and 5. A successful launch on August 29 would result in a mission duration of approximately 42 days, with a targeted Orion splashdown on October 10.

Teams are retracting the VAB platforms that provide access to the rocket and spacecraft after engineers completed installing thermal blankets on the interim cryogenic propulsion stage around the launch vehicle stage adapter. Technicians also replaced the engine section flight doors of the rocket’s core stage. Final closeout inspections are complete on those sections and they are ready for flight.

On the 212-foot-tall core stage, teams started flight closeouts inspections. Coming up, engineers will test the flight termination system elements in the intertank of the core stage and the forward skirts of the solid rocket boosters before SLS rolls out to the pad for launch.

Launch and flight controllers, along with support personnel across NASA centers, completed their final launch countdown simulation ahead of the mission. The team has conducted many launch and flight simulations to prepare for Artemis I.

Technicians also finished replacing the inflatable seal that sits between the mobile launcher’s crew access arm and Orion’s launch abort system and crew module to prevent anything from the outside environment getting inside the capsule. Teams have extended the crew access arm and are conducting final powered testing and installing the “passengers” that are part of the MARE investigation before closing the hatch ahead of rolling out to the launch pad, currently scheduled for August 18.

Source: NASA.Gov

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Vehicle Assembly Building High Bay 3 Platform E was retracted last night. ½ of the platforms are now retracted. Platform K will be retracted tonight, with B, C, E next week, starting on Tues.
Join us today at 11:30 ET for an Artemis I mission briefing at https://t.co/6CWuCVIE53 pic.twitter.com/ztArVTz16U

— NASA's Exploration Ground Systems (@NASAGroundSys) August 5, 2022

Moonikin “Campos” secured in a seat inside the Artemis I @NASA_Orion crew module atop the @NASA_SLS rocket in High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at @NASAKennedy. Artemis I is scheduled to launch no earlier than Aug. 29th, with backup dates of Sept. 2nd and 5th. 🚀🌕 pic.twitter.com/JT6CC83ioX

— NASA's Exploration Ground Systems (@NASAGroundSys) August 5, 2022