Happy Halloween, Everyone! NASA's First Artemis Mission Is 13 Days Away from Arriving at the Moon...

NASA

CAPSTONE Completes Successful Maneuver, Teeing Up Moon Orbit (News Release)

The CAPSTONE spacecraft successfully completed a trajectory correction maneuver on Thursday, October 27, teeing up the spacecraft’s arrival in lunar orbit on November 13.

CAPSTONE is no longer in safe mode following an issue in early September that caused the spacecraft to spin. The team identified the most likely cause as a valve-related issue in one of the spacecraft’s eight thrusters. The mission team will design future maneuvers to work around the affected valve, including the two remaining trajectory correction maneuvers scheduled before CAPSTONE’s arrival in orbit at the Moon.

CAPSTONE – short for Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment – is owned by Advanced Space on behalf of NASA. The spacecraft was designed and built by Terran Orbital. Operations are performed jointly by teams at Advanced Space and Terran Orbital.

Source: NASA.Gov

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The countdown is on! https://t.co/2TAIgQE0TG

— Rocket Lab (@RocketLab) October 31, 2022

The SLS Rocket Is Set to Return to Launch Complex 39B on November 4...

NASA / Jason Parrish

NASA to Provide Update on Artemis I Moon Mission (Press Release)

NASA will host a media teleconference at 12 p.m. EDT Thursday, November 3, to discuss the status of its Artemis I flight test that will launch the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The uncrewed mission will send the Orion spacecraft beyond the Moon and back to Earth before future missions with crew.

Audio of the call will livestream on the agency’s website at:

https://www.nasa.gov/live

Briefing participants include:

- Jim Free, associate administrator, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
- Cliff Lanham, senior vehicle operations manager, Exploration Ground Systems Program, Kennedy

To participate by telephone, media must RSVP no later than two hours before the briefing to: ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.

NASA is planning to roll the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft to Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Friday, November 4, at 12:01 a.m. ahead of launch.

The agency continues to target launch for Monday, November 14, with liftoff planned during a 69-minute launch window that opens at 12:07 a.m. EST. A launch on November 14 would result in a mission duration of about 25-and-a-half days with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean Friday, December 9.

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.

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Platform F is now the only platform left surrounding @NASA_SLS and @NASA_Orion in the Vehicle Assembly Building at @NASAKennedy. The vehicle is undergoing final preparations for its roll out to Pad 39B, for a launch to the Moon on #Artemis I, as early as Nov. 14. pic.twitter.com/iXr4eEWXNK

— NASA's Exploration Ground Systems (@NASAGroundSys) October 28, 2022

NASA Continues to Gear Up for Artemis 3 and Lunar Flights Beyond...

NASA

Progress Continues for Future Orion Missions (News Release)

As NASA readies for the Artemis I flight test, the agency is gearing up for future Artemis missions that will send astronauts to the Moon for the first time in 50 years.

Engineers are outfitting the Orion crew and service modules for Artemis II, the first mission with astronauts that will carry astronauts around the Moon, in the Neil Armstrong Operations & Checkout (O&C) Building at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Both elements were powered on for the first time in recent months, and technicians have been performing electrical and mechanical work to support a series of functional tests to ensure the spacecraft systems are routing power and operating as designed. All three of Orion’s launch abort system motors for the Artemis II test flight are also at Kennedy and ready for integration and stacking.

At the same time, engineers and technicians are making progress towards Artemis III. NASA’s Super Guppy aircraft delivered the heat shield for Artemis III from Lockheed Martin’s facility in Waterton, Colorado, to Kennedy on October 18. In the coming months, technicians will attach more than 180 blocks of Avcoat, an ablative material, to the heat shield and install them on the bottom of Orion’s crew module. The Artemis III crew module is also undergoing assembly of interior and exterior secondary structures in the O&C, while teams at Airbus, the European Space Agency’s lead contract for the service module, are working on the Artemis III European Service Module in Bremen, Germany.

“Our team is ready for Orion’s first flight atop the Space Launch System rocket on Artemis I and working in parallel to support future Artemis missions to the Moon,” said Howard Hu, Orion program manager at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “We are making significant progress on multiple Orion spacecraft in various stages of production and assembly for Artemis II, III and IV.”

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans are welding the Artemis IV pressure vessel that will protect astronauts from the vacuum of space, with final welding expected to occur later this fall. The primary structure of the Artemis IV European-built service module also has been completed and shipped from Thales Alenia Space in Turin, Italy, to Airbus facilities in Bremen where it will undergo assembly and integration.

NASA has also ordered production of Orion spacecraft for Artemis VI through Artemis VIII. The order is valued at $1.99 billion and is part of the agency’s Orion Production and Operations Contract with Lockheed Martin, lead contractor for Orion. NASA procured the spacecraft for Artemis III through V in 2019 for $2.7 billion under the contract.

By ordering Orion production in groups of three spacecraft, NASA is capitalizing on efficiencies available in the supply chain to improve production, lower costs and allow for reusability. NASA and Lockheed Martin plan to refurbish the Artemis III pressure vessel for Artemis VI. A host of interior elements such as flight computers, crew seats, switch panels and other avionics will be reused.

With Artemis, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the lunar surface and establish long-term exploration at the Moon in preparation for human missions to Mars. NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft, along with the commercial Human Landing System and Gateway in orbit around the Moon, are NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA

Remembering Another Space Pioneer from the Apollo Era...

NASA

Apollo Astronaut James McDivitt Dies at Age 93 (Press Release)

Former NASA astronaut James A. McDivitt, who commanded the Gemini IV and Apollo 9 missions, died October 13. McDivitt passed away peacefully in his sleep surrounded by his family and friends in Tucson, Arizona. He was 93 years old.

McDivitt was born June 10, 1929, in Chicago. He graduated from Kalamazoo Central High School, in Kalamazoo, Michigan, before going on to receive a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Michigan, graduating first in his class in 1959.

He joined the Air Force in 1951 and retired with the rank of Brigadier General. He flew 145 combat missions during the Korean War in F-80 and F-86 aircraft. He was a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Experimental Test Pilot School and the U.S. Air Force Aerospace Research Pilot course and served as an experimental test pilot at Edwards Air Force Base, California. He logged more than 5,000 flying hours during his piloting career.

McDivitt was selected as an astronaut by NASA in September 1962 as part of NASA's second astronaut class.

He first flew in space as commander of the Gemini IV mission in June 1965. McDivitt was joined by fellow Air Force pilot Ed White on the program’s most ambitious flight to date. During Gemini IV, White would become the first American to venture outside of his spacecraft for what is officially known as an extravehicular activity (EVA) or as the world has come to know it, a spacewalk. In the following years, it was a skill that allowed Apollo explorers to walk on the Moon and American astronauts and their partners from around the world to build the International Space Station. The mission’s four-day duration nearly doubled NASA astronauts’ previous time in space to that point, with the longest American spaceflight previously being Gordon Cooper’s 34-hour Mercury 9 mission.

McDivitt’s second spaceflight as the commander of Apollo 9 played a critical role in landing the first humans on the Moon. This was the first flight of the complete set of Apollo hardware and was the first flight of the Lunar Module. The mission launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on March 3, 1969, with Commander James McDivitt, Command Module Pilot David Scott and Lunar Module Pilot Russell Schweickart. After launch, Apollo 9 entered Earth orbit and the crew performed an engineering test of the first crewed lunar module, nicknamed “Spider,” from beginning to end. They simulated the maneuvers that would be performed during actual lunar missions.

During the mission, the astronauts performed a series of flight tasks with the command and service modules and the lunar module. The top priority was rendezvous and docking of the lunar module with the command and service modules. The crew also configured the lunar module to support a spacewalk by McDivitt and Schweickart. On Flight Day 10, March 13, 1969, the Apollo 9 capsule re-entered Earth’s atmosphere and splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean, within three miles and in full view of the recovery ship, the USS Guadalcanal, about 341 miles north of Puerto Rico.

McDivitt logged more than 14 days in space.

After Apollo 9, he became manager of lunar landing operations, and led a team that planned the lunar exploration program and redesigned the spacecraft to accomplish this task. In August 1969, he became manager of the Apollo Spacecraft Program, guiding the program through Apollo 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16.

McDivitt retired from the U.S. Air Force and left NASA in June 1972, to take the position of executive vice-president, corporate affairs for Consumers Power Company. In March 1975, he joined Pullman, Inc. as executive vice-president and a director. In October 1975 he became president of the Pullman Standard Division, The Railcar Division, and later had additional responsibility for the leasing, engineering and construction areas of the company. In January 1981 he joined Rockwell International as senior vice president, government operations, and Rockwell International Corporation, Washington, D.C.

His numerous awards included two NASA Distinguished Service Medals and the NASA Exceptional Service Medal. For his service in the U.S. Air Force, he also was awarded two Air Force Distinguished Service Medals, four Distinguished Flying Crosses, five Air Medals and U.S. Air Force Astronaut Wings. McDivitt also received the Chong Moo Medal from South Korea, the U.S. Air Force Systems Command Aerospace Primus Award, the Arnold Air Society JFK Trophy, the Sword of Loyola and the Michigan Wolverine Frontiersman Award.

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Crew Dragon Freedom Has Successfully Returned Home...

NASA / Bill Ingalls

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 Astronauts Safely Splash Down in Atlantic (Press Release)

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 astronauts aboard the Dragon spacecraft safely splashed down Friday off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida, completing the agency’s fourth commercial crew mission to the International Space Station. The international crew of four spent 170 days in orbit.

NASA astronauts Bob Hines, Kjell Lindgren and Jessica Watkins, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti returned to Earth in a parachute-assisted splashdown at 4:55 p.m. EDT. Teams aboard SpaceX recovery vessels retrieved the spacecraft and astronauts. After returning to shore, all astronauts will fly to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Cristoforetti will then board a plane to Europe.

“Welcome home Crew-4! This international crew has spent nearly six months on the International Space Station conducting science for the benefit of all. Their work aboard the orbiting laboratory will help prepare future explorers for future space missions,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “Working and living on the space station is the opportunity of a lifetime, but it also requires these explorers to make sacrifices, especially time away from loved ones. Kjell, Bob, Jessica and Samantha, thank you for your contributions over the past six months to science, innovation and discovery!"

The Crew-4 mission launched at 3:52 a.m. EDT April 27 on a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Less than 16 hours later, Dragon docked to the Harmony module’s space-facing port. The astronauts undocked from the same port at 12:05 p.m. Friday, to begin the trip home.

Hines, Lindgren, Watkins and Cristoforetti traveled 72,168,935 miles during their mission, spent 170 days aboard the space station and completed 2,720 orbits around Earth. Lindgren has logged 311 days in space over his two flights, and with the completion of their flight today, Cristoforetti has logged 369 days in space on her two flights, making her second on the all-time list for most days in space by a woman. The Crew-4 mission was the first spaceflight for Hines and Watkins.

Throughout their mission, the Crew-4 astronauts contributed to a host of science and maintenance activities and technology demonstrations. Cristoforetti completed two spacewalks with Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev to perform station maintenance and upgrades.

Crew-4 continued work on investigations documenting how improvements to the space diet affect immune function and the gut microbiome, determining the effect of fuel temperature on the flammability of a material, exploring possible adverse effects on astronaut hearing from equipment noise and microgravity, and studying whether additives increase or decrease the stability of emulsions. The astronauts also investigated microgravity-induced changes in the human immune system similar to aging, tested a novel water-reclamation membrane, and examined a concrete alternative made with a material found in lunar and Martian dust.

The spacecraft, named Freedom by Crew-4, will return to Florida for inspection and processing at SpaceX’s Dragon Lair, where teams will examine the spacecraft’s data and performance throughout the flight.

The Crew-4 flight is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and its return to Earth follows on the heels of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 launch, which docked to the station October 6, beginning another science expedition.

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

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The Maiden Flight of the SLS Rocket Is Officially Scheduled for Mid-November...

NASA

NASA Sets Date for Next Launch Attempt for Artemis I Moon Mission (News Release - October 12)

NASA is targeting the next launch attempt of the Artemis I mission for Monday, November 14 with liftoff of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft planned during a 69-minute launch window that opens at 12:07 a.m. EST. Artemis I is an uncrewed flight test to launch SLS and send Orion around the Moon and back to Earth to thoroughly test its system before flights with astronauts.

Inspections and analyses over the previous week have confirmed minimal work is required to prepare the rocket and spacecraft to roll out to Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida following the rollback due to Hurricane Ian. Teams will perform standard maintenance to repair minor damage to the foam and cork on the thermal protection system and recharge or replace batteries on the rocket, several secondary payloads and the flight termination system. The agency plans to roll the rocket back to the launch pad as early as Friday, November 4.

NASA has requested back-up launch opportunities for Wednesday, November 16, at 1:04 a.m. and Saturday, November 19, at 1:45 a.m., which are both two-hour launch windows. A launch on November 14 would result in a mission duration of about 25-and-a-half days with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean Friday, December 9.

Source: NASA.Gov

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On Oct. 12, teams replaced ICPS batteries and powered up @NASA_Orion for battery charging and to load flight software. Work is on track for @NASA_SLS to roll out of the VAB on Nov. 4 for our next #Artemis I launch attempt on Nov. 14 at 12:07 a.m. EDT. pic.twitter.com/0C6rLEI2mo

— NASA's Exploration Ground Systems (@NASAGroundSys) October 13, 2022

Photos of the Day: Starship Super Heavy Is Whole Again...

SpaceX

Just thought I'd share these images released by SpaceX after Starship Serial No. 24 and Super Heavy Booster 7 were stacked for the first time at Starbase in Texas yesterday.

The last time Starship Super Heavy was fully assembled atop the Orbital Launch Mount was earlier this year...with Starship 20 and Booster 4 on the pad.

In other Starship news, Dennis Tito—an American entrepreneur who became the first space tourist to visit the International Space Station via Russia's Soyuz capsule in 2001—will fly around the Moon (along with his wife Akiko) on the vehicle's second flight. Click here for more details.


SpaceX


SpaceX


SpaceX

Dennis Tito, an 82-year-old engineer-turned-financial analyst who paid Russia $20 million for a trip to the International Space Station in 2001, is working with SpaceX on plans to take his wife on what amounts to a belated honeymoon voyage around the moon. https://t.co/BLH2K1bTMv pic.twitter.com/cHmrcyTYf0

— Spaceflight Now (@SpaceflightNow) October 12, 2022

The Forward Skirt for the Space Launch System's Fourth Flight Continues to Undergo Assembly in Louisiana...

NASA / Michael DeMocker

Forward Skirt for Artemis IV’s Core Stage Moves to Next Phase of Production (Photo Release - September 16)

Crews at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans lift the forward skirt of a core stage that will power NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket out of the Vertical Weld Center on September 16, 2022. The forward skirt will be used for NASA’s Artemis IV mission.

The hardware houses flight computers, cameras and avionics systems for the SLS rocket. The SLS core stage is made up of five unique elements: the forward skirt, liquid oxygen tank, intertank, liquid hydrogen tank and the engine section.

When fully stacked, the forward skirt is located at the top of the 212-foot-tall core stage and connects to the upper part of the rocket. The core stage and its four RS-25 engines provide more than 2 million pounds of thrust to help power NASA’s next-generation lunar missions.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Michael DeMocker

Artemis IV, the first SLS Block 1B continues to make progress as we see its forward skirt progress through production.

The LOX capping forward skirt joins the engine section, SRBs & pre-existing RS-25s to what already exists to support Artemis IV. pic.twitter.com/R6mjh7XrUf

— Universe Consuming Mike (@LCS_Big_Mike) October 8, 2022

Artemis Moon Mission Rehearsals Have Begun in Arizona...

NASA

Meet the Teams Leading Moonwalking Test Mission (News Release - October 4)

As part of the Artemis missions, astronauts will visit the lunar South Pole region, which has never been explored by humans. To prepare for the first lunar polar expedition, which will take place during the Artemis III mission, NASA will practice operations in a simulated lunar environment.

The remote, rocky, high-desert terrain of the S P Crater near Flagstaff, Arizona will serve as lunar proxy for a mission simulation called Joint Extravehicular Activity Test Team Field Test #3 (JETT3) scheduled for October 4-9. The JETT3 team will leverage the location’s unique terrain and geology, and minimal communications infrastructure to conduct simulated moonwalks.

“When Americans take those next steps on the Moon, it will be made possible through integrated tests and missions like JETT3,” says David Coan, field test director for JETT3. “We will put all of our systems and planning to the test. This collaboration between the engineering and science communities combines newly engineered spaceflight hardware with techniques for exploring natural planetary environments and embodies the importance of partnerships in our return to the Moon.”

The JETT3 team consists of NASA scientists and engineers, other members of the science community, flight controllers, astronauts and field experts who will come together to execute the simulated missions and discuss and record lessons learned. A flight control team and a team of scientists will lead the moonwalks from the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Two astronauts will join field experts to conduct the moonwalks that consist of traversing an approximate one-mile circle while wearing mockup spacesuit systems and performing various sample collection techniques.

With nearly all of the Apollo samples having been opened, a goal of the Artemis III mission will be collecting new samples for analysis and study back on Earth. After astronauts land on the lunar surface, scientists will have already selected areas of interest for the astronauts to obtain the samples.

The JETT3 analog mission will follow this process as well – during each of the four moonwalks, astronauts will pause at a variety of pre-selected areas to collect the samples. Once in the area, they will communicate with the science team about which specific rocks and soil to sample. Part of this process includes data collection and real-time analysis of the soil.

Teams will use the same communication processes and lessons learned during JETT3 when developing their mission plans for Artemis III.

To lead the spacewalks from mission control, flight controllers will direct the astronauts and guide them on their walks. Once the teams have identified a sample to collect, astronauts will communicate with the flight control team in detail as they use a variety of tools to collect the sample. These tools will allow them to hammer, core, rake and scoop samples into collection instruments.

Data about the accuracy and usefulness of these prototype tool designs will be communicated real-time and collected for later analysis by NASA experts.

Positioned from the control rooms at Johnson, the science team and flight control team will support the astronauts on JETT3 as they conduct their simulated Artemis moonwalks. The team’s findings and discussions will help NASA apply lessons learned to develop technologies and plan operations for Artemis missions.

The samples collected on Artemis III will provide meaningful insight into the Moon’s resources, reveal new discoveries about our solar system and help inform plans for developing a sustainable presence on the Moon.

Notable team members in the field:

Drew Feustel, NASA Astronaut

Zena Cardman, NASA Astronaut

David Coan, JETT3 field fest director

Trevor Graff, Artemis science hardware and testing lead

Zach Tejral, JETT3 integrated hardware lead

Tess Caswell, JETT3 Flight Operations Directorate extravehicular activty (EVA) lead

Notable team members in the Mission Control Center:

Kathleen “Kate” Rubins, NASA Astronaut

Kelsey Young, JETT3 science lead and Houston test director

Jackie Kagey, JETT3 flight control team

Ike Theriot, JETT3 flight control team

Source: NASA.Gov

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Preparation for @NASAArtemis III will be difficult. @NASA_Astronauts are working together with our development and mission support teams to ensure readiness to explore. #Artemis pic.twitter.com/QuZAmzk4Av

— A.J. (Drew) Feustel (@Astro_Feustel) October 8, 2022

Artemis 1 Update: SLS Continues to be Prepped for Its Next Launch Attempt...

NASA

Inspections Underway for Rocket, Spacecraft Before Setting Launch Date (News Release - October 6)

Engineers at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida are in the process of preparing the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft for the next launch attempt in November for the Artemis I mission. Check-outs conducted this week will allow NASA to finalize the work schedule before rolling SLS and Orion back to Launch Complex 39B.

Since resuming work after Hurricane Ian, teams have extended work platforms around SLS and Orion to assess the exterior and access internal components. Exterior inspections will note any foam or cork from the thermal protection system on the rocket or spacecraft that might need to be repaired. Teams will replace the flight batteries for the interim cryogenic propulsion stage and the boosters, as well as the batteries for the flight termination system in the boosters and core stage.

Work will also include charging the CubeSats that are equipped to be re-charged and have elected to do so. Inside Orion, work will include replenishing the specimens and batteries for the biology investigations riding within the capsule, as well as recharging the batteries associated with the crew seat accelerometers and space radiation experiments.

While teams inside the Vehicle Assembly Building complete check-outs, managers are coordinating with the U.S. Space Force to reserve launch dates on the Eastern Range and working with other parts of the agency to evaluate any potential constraints before NASA sets a target date for the next launch attempt.

Although the Kennedy area received minimal impacts from Hurricane Ian, many team members who live farther west experienced larger effects from the storm and are still recovering. Managers are working with teams to ensure they have the time and support needed to address the needs of their families and homes.

Source: NASA.Gov

ISS Update #2: Crew Dragon Endurance and Another DNA Biobank Have Arrived at the Orbital Outpost!

NASA TV

Just like the soon-to-be-completed Crew-4 mission, Crew-5 brought to the International Space Station a second biobank capsule provided by LifeShip.com! Inside this capsule are the DNA samples of 500 plant and animal species, as well as those of thousands of humans (including Yours Truly). The names of 10,000 people have also rode to the ISS with this special container.

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The Crew-5 Astronauts Dock to the Space Station (News Release)

NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Koichi Wakata, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina arrived at the International Space Station on Thursday, October 6, as SpaceX's Dragon Endurance docked to the complex at 5:01 p.m. EDT while the spacecraft were flying 258 miles above the west coast of Africa.

Following Dragon’s link-up to the Harmony module, the crew aboard Dragon Endurance and the space station will begin conducting standard leak checks and pressurization between the spacecraft in preparation for hatch opening scheduled for 6:42 p.m.

Mann, Cassada, Wakata and Kikina will join the Expedition 68 crew of NASA astronauts Bob Hines, Kjell Lindgren, Frank Rubio and Jessica Watkins, Samantha Cristoforetti of ESA (European Space Agency), and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin. For a short time, the number of crew on the space station will increase to 11 people until Crew-4 departs.

NASA Television and the agency’s website are continuing to provide live continuous coverage of the agency’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission.

Source: NASA.Gov

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LifeShip


LifeShip

Station Commander @AstroSamantha welcomes the four @SpaceX #Crew5 members aboard the station as they join the Exp 68 crew for several months of @ISS_Research. pic.twitter.com/rTwfu5KWgn

— International Space Station (@Space_Station) October 7, 2022

ISS Update: Crew Dragon Endurance Is Headed Back to the Orbital Outpost...

NASA / Joel Kowsky

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 Launches to International Space Station (Press Release)

The crew members assigned to NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission are in orbit following their launch to the International Space Station noon EDT Wednesday, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The international crew will serve as the agency’s fifth commercial crew rotation mission with SpaceX aboard the orbital laboratory.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket propelled the Dragon Endurance spacecraft into orbit carrying NASA astronauts Nicole Mann as mission commander, and Josh Cassada, pilot. JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Koichi Wakata and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina, also aboard the Dragon, will serve as mission specialists for their science expedition in microgravity aboard the space station.

“Missions like Crew-5 are proof we are living through a golden era of commercial space exploration. It’s a new era powered by the spirit of partnership, fueled by scientific ingenuity, and inspired by the quest for new discoveries,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “During their stay aboard the International Space Station, Crew-5 will conduct more than 200 science experiments and technology demonstrations, including studies on printing human organs in space and better understanding heart disease. While our eyes are focused upward on the heavens, let us never forget these missions will also better life here on Earth.”

This is the first spaceflight for Mann, Cassada, and Kikina, and the fifth for Wakata. This is the sixth SpaceX flight with NASA astronauts – including the Demo-2 test flight in 2020 to the space station – as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program.

During Dragon’s flight, SpaceX will monitor a series of automatic spacecraft maneuvers from its mission control center in Hawthorne, California, and NASA teams will monitor space station operations throughout the flight from the Mission Control Center at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Dragon will dock autonomously to the space-facing port of the station’s Harmony module around 4:57 p.m. Thursday, October 6. NASA Television, the NASA app and the agency’s website will provide live coverage of docking and hatch opening. NASA also will cover the ceremony to welcome the crew aboard the orbital outpost about 8:15 p.m.

Mann, Cassada, Wakata, and Kikina will join the space station’s Expedition 68 crew of NASA astronauts Bob Hines, Kjell Lindgren, Frank Rubio, and Jessica Watkins, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin. For a short time, the number of crew aboard the space station will increase to 11 people until Crew-4 astronauts Hines Lindgren, Watkins and Cristoforetti return to Earth a few days later.

Crew-5 will spend several months aboard the space station conducting new scientific research in areas such as cardiovascular health, bioprinting and fluid behavior in microgravity to prepare for human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit and to benefit life on Earth.

“The International Space Station continues to serve a critical role in helping NASA and our partners understand and maximize the unique attributes of the microgravity environment,” said Kathryn Lueders, associate administrator for NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate in Washington. “I am grateful to the many people who worked to ensure a safe Crew-5 launch despite the recent hurricane so the crew can fulfill their mission to the orbiting laboratory.”

The Crew-5 mission continues NASA’s efforts to maintain American leadership in human spaceflight. Regular commercial crew rotation missions enable NASA to continue the important research and technology investigations taking place aboard the station. Such research benefits people on Earth and lays the groundwork for future human exploration through the agency’s Artemis missions, which will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future expeditions to Mars.

Meet Crew-5

As commander, Mann is responsible for all phases of flight, from launch to re-entry, and will serve as an Expedition 68 flight engineer. This will be her first spaceflight since becoming an astronaut in 2013. Mann was born in Petaluma, California, and will be the first indigenous woman from NASA in space. She is a colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps, and she served as a test pilot in the F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet.

Cassada is the spacecraft pilot and second in command for the mission. He is responsible for spacecraft systems and performance. Aboard the station, he will serve as an Expedition 68 flight engineer. This will be his first flight since his selection as an astronaut in 2013. Cassada grew up in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, and is a physicist and U.S. Navy test pilot.

Wakata will be making his fifth trip to space and as a mission specialist he will work closely with the commander and pilot to monitor the spacecraft during the dynamic launch and re-entry phases of flight. Once aboard the station, he will serve as a flight engineer for Expedition 68. With Crew-5’s launch, Dragon will be the third different type of spacecraft Wakata has flown to space.

Kikina will be making her first trip to space, and will serve as a mission specialist, working to monitor the spacecraft during the dynamic launch and re-entry phases of flight. She will be a flight engineer for Expedition 68.

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SpaceX

LAUNCH! Crew-5 launches with four humans to the ISS. Falcon 9 B1077 with Crew Dragon Endurance lift off from 39A.

Overview:https://t.co/nxrCgkievl

Livestream:https://t.co/FcCJKGPdj8 pic.twitter.com/Lq2cW4TziD

— Chris Bergin - NSF (@NASASpaceflight) October 5, 2022

"Wooo! That was a smooth ride uphill!" says commander Nicole Mann on SpaceX's Dragon Endurance spacecraft.

The Dragon capsule has separated from the Falcon 9 after arriving in orbit, heading for docking at the space station tomorrow.https://t.co/x0vLBWkVpY pic.twitter.com/ZzipJ1zdjz

— Spaceflight Now (@SpaceflightNow) October 5, 2022

"Imagination encircles the world." —Albert Einstein

The zero-gravity indicator for the #Crew5 mission is revealed to be a toy Einstein. It's used to show when the capsule reaches the weightlessness of microgravity as it circles the globe en route to the @Space_Station. pic.twitter.com/wOE7GbWfNA

— NASA (@NASA) October 5, 2022

NASA Prepares for Testing of SLS Block 1B Flight Hardware...

NASA

Stennis Begins Work on Key Testing Component (Press Release)

A critical component needed for future testing in support of NASA’s Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond recently arrived at the agency’s Stennis Space Center in south Mississippi.

The interstage simulator special test equipment arrived at Stennis on September 21 via barge from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana, where it was fabricated. The simulator, 31 feet in diameter and 33 feet tall, will be used during Green Run testing of the new Exploration Upper Stage (EUS). EUS will fly on future Space Launch System (SLS) missions as NASA continues its mission to explore the universe for the benefit of all.

EUS is being built at Michoud as a more powerful second stage to send the Orion spacecraft to deep space. It will replace the interim cryogenic propulsion stage being used on initial Artemis flights and enable NASA to send astronauts and large payloads to the Moon on a single mission.

The new upper stage will be powered by four RL10 engines, generating a combined 97,360 pounds of thrust, compared to the single engine used on the interim stage. That will allow NASA to send 40% more payload to the Moon, 38 metric tons compared to 27 metric tons on initial missions.

EUS is expected to fly on the Artemis IV mission. Prior to that time, it will undergo Green Run testing on the B-2 Test Stand at Stennis, where the SLS core stage was also tested. During Green Run, NASA will conduct a series of tests on the EUS integrated systems to demonstrate it is ready to fly.

The interstage simulator recently delivered to Stennis is essential to enable the series of tests. The Green Run effort will culminate with a hot fire of the four RL10 engines, just as during an actual mission.

The interstage simulator will serve dual purposes. Most importantly, it will function much like the SLS interstage section to protect the lower part of the EUS vehicle from the environment, keeping the electrical and propulsion systems safe while at Stennis. The top portion of the simulator also will serve as a thrust takeout system to absorb the thrust of an EUS hot fire and transfer it back to the test stand.

In the coming months, the Stennis team will perform finishing work to prepare the simulator for installation on the test stand. This will include finishing access platforms and the precision interfaces prior to sandblasting and painting. The final step prior to installation will be installing various piping and tubing, as well as wiring connections needed for Green Run testing.

“As NASA looks to gain a better understanding of the universe, important projects like this need to occur,” explained Stennis Project Engineer Nick Nugent. “Stennis is on the front lines with our rocket engine testing, our component testing and then also our stage testing, like we did with the (SLS) core stage Green Run. It’s an exciting time to be here.”

Source: NASA.Gov

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The Grand Canyon State Will Once Again Play a Role in Moon Mission Rehearsals by Astronauts...

NASA / Regan Geeseman

NASA to Practice Artemis Moonwalking, Roving Operations in Arizona Desert (News Release)

To prepare for the Artemis era of research on the Moon, NASA will conduct two multi-week field tests near Flagstaff, Arizona with astronauts, engineers and scientists to practice mission scenarios for Artemis astronauts in a simulated lunar surface environment.

The Arizona desert possesses many characteristics that are analogous to a lunar environment including challenging terrain, interesting geology and minimal communications infrastructure, all of which astronauts will experience near the lunar South Pole during Artemis missions.

The two analog missions scheduled for October 2022 – the Joint Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program Test Team (JETT) Field Test #3 and Desert Research and Technology Studies (D-RATS) – will provide crucial data and lessons learned as teams conduct operations in a simulated lunar environment to practice for the real event.

JETT3: Understanding Lunar South Pole Lighting Conditions for Moonwalks

First in the series of missions is JETT3. JETT3 will consist of four simulated moonwalks that follow operations planned for Artemis III, the first of the Artemis missions to land astronauts on the lunar surface. The primary focus of this analog mission is to help NASA gain an understanding of the requirements for the unique lighting conditions at the lunar South Pole region.

The mission is planned for October 4-9 near the S P Crater, which is about 40 miles north of Flagstaff, Arizona. JETT3 is the final test in the 2022 JETT series, which is a broader mission scale test to ensure successful surface operations and technology development for Artemis III.

To replicate the proper lighting conditions, the JETT3 simulated moonwalks will occur at night, and a simulated Sun will produce lighting and shadows in the field.

Two NASA astronauts, Drew Feustel and Zena Cardman, will serve as the crewmembers for all four moonwalks and will traverse within an approximate one-mile circle wearing mockup spacesuit systems. While wearing the mockups that simulate fully-pressurized spacesuits, they will use a variety of moonwalking tools and techniques to collect samples including raking, hammering and coring.

A flight control team will lead the simulated moonwalks from the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, and will be joined by a science team that will analyze the astronauts’ simulated moonwalks in real-time.

At the end of each day and at the conclusion of the simulated mission, the science team, flight control team, crewmembers and field experts will come together to discuss and record lessons learned. NASA will take these lessons and apply them to developing technologies and planning operations for Artemis missions.

D-RATS: Testing Pressurized Rovers

D-RATS will practice operations for future missions beyond Artemis III and will consist of three mission runs scheduled for October 11-22 at Black Point Lava Flow, near S P Crater. The mission will primarily focus on conducting pressurized rover operations, which is a key element of future Artemis missions starting with Artemis VII in 2030.

Pressurized rovers are like recreational vehicles, commonly known as RVs, safely housing astronauts for weeks at a time, complete with all the air, water, food, hygiene equipment and tools they need on their trek across the lunar surface. Astronauts can live and work comfortably inside the rover, exiting the vehicle to collect samples or deploy experiments.

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will join NASA for D-RATS as part of a study agreement that supports JAXA’s ability to potentially provide a pressurized rover for Artemis. JAXA astronauts and engineers will have an opportunity to experience living and working from within NASA’s prototype pressurized rover in an operational environment.

JAXA astronauts Akihiko Hoshide and Norishige Kanai, and JAXA expert Naofumi Ikeda will join NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Stan Love and NASA engineer Sarah Shull, in driving a pressurized rover over the course of three days. Crews of two will rotate through living and operating out of the pressurized rover, including conducting simulated moonwalks.

Throughout D-RATS, NASA and JAXA will gather data about the pressurized rover’s design, cabin configuration, driving modes, timeline constraints and mission operations to support potential design concepts for future pressurized rovers.

A team of NASA and JAXA flight controllers, astronauts and scientists will lead the analog mission from the Mission Control Center. This team, together with crewmembers and field experts, will work together to record data for potential technology and operations development for a pressurized rover.

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. Analog missions help prepare humans for the challenges of deep space exploration and journeying farther into the cosmos.

Source: NASA.Gov

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This week at @NASA_Johnson, we trained on lunar rover & geology sampling protocols for an upcoming #DesertRATS analog mission. These October missions in the Arizona desert will help prepare @NASA scientists, engineers and @NASA_Astronauts for @NASAArtemis missions to the #Moon. pic.twitter.com/maEIH1idRX

— Jessica Meir (@Astro_Jessica) September 30, 2022

The Core Stage for the Next SLS Vehicle Has Received Its Final Components...

NASA / Michael DeMocker

Artemis II Rocket Engines Arrive at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility (News Release - September 29)

Teams have delivered the four RS-25 engines that will help power Artemis II, the first crewed mission of NASA’s Artemis missions and second flight of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, to NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. Later this fall, the engines will be installed into the Artemis II core stage, which is in the final phase of assembly at Michoud where it was manufactured. Trucks transported the engines in special containers from NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, where they were upgraded with new controllers.

Together, the four RS-25 engines will produce more than 2 million pounds of thrust during ascent to help send Artemis II astronauts beyond Earth’s orbit to lunar orbit. Technicians from NASA and Aerojet Rocketdyne, the prime contractor for the engines, will store the engines at Michoud and prepare them for integration into the engine section at the bottom of the rocket’s 212-foot-tall core stage. They will use a pathfinder engine to practice the intricate process of installing each engine on the stage prior to installing the flight engines.

The first engine – Engine E2047 -- of the flight set flew on 15 space shuttle missions, including the final shuttle mission STS-135. The second engine of the set – Engine E2059 -- previously flew on five shuttle missions. The third and fourth engines – E2062 and E2063 – are new engines that include some previously flown hardware.

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

Source: NASA.Gov

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NASA! Unscathed by Hurricane Ian, SLS Will Be Primed for Another Launch Attempt Later Next Month...

NASA

Teams Confirm No Damage to Flight Hardware, Focus on November for Launch (News Release - September 30)

Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida conducted initial inspections Friday to assess potential impacts from Hurricane Ian. There was no damage to Artemis flight hardware, and facilities are in good shape with only minor water intrusion identified in a few locations. Next, engineers will extend access platforms around the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to prepare for additional inspections and start preparation for the next launch attempt, including retesting the flight termination system.

As teams complete post-storm recovery operations, NASA has determined it will focus Artemis I launch planning efforts on the launch period that opens November 12 and closes November 27. Over the coming days, managers will assess the scope of work to perform while in the VAB and identify a specific date for the next launch attempt. Focusing efforts on the November launch period allows time for employees at Kennedy to address the needs of their families and homes after the storm and for teams to identify additional checkouts needed before returning to the pad for launch.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA's decision to return the Space Launch System moon rocket to the Vehicle Assembly Building to shelter from Hurricane Ian will likely delay the Artemis 1 launch until November. Here are the available launch dates and times for the next two months. https://t.co/5VFdD96EZY pic.twitter.com/LJfNs07vTI

— Spaceflight Now (@SpaceflightNow) September 27, 2022

You say it's your birthday? It's our birthday, too, yeah!

NASA was founded Oct. 1, 1958. On Oct. 1, 2001, @NASAHubble took this picture of a galaxy 50 million light-years away.

Check out what the space telescope saw on YOUR birthday: https://t.co/oHvXXpIzjg pic.twitter.com/58KjYSNxVO

— NASA (@NASA) October 1, 2022