Two Fellow Test Dummies Join Commander Campos Back on Terra Firma...

NASA / Kim Shiflett

Orion Manikins Return from Artemis I Mission (News Release - January 18)

After a 25-day flight beyond the Moon and back inside the Artemis I Orion crew module, two manikins undergo post-flight payload inspections inside the Space Station Processing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 11, 2023. As part of the Matroshka AstroRad Radiation Experiment (MARE) investigation, the two female manikins – Helga and Zohar – were equipped with radiation detectors.

Zohar also wore a radiation protection vest, to determine the radiation risk during the Artemis I mission and potentially reduce exposure during future missions with astronauts. The detectors will be removed at Kennedy and the torsos will return to teams at the German Space Agency for further analysis.

Artemis I Orion launched atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39B on November 16, 2022, at 1:47 a.m. EST. During the flight, Orion flew farther than any spacecraft built for humans has ever flown, paving the way for human deep space exploration and demonstrating NASA’s commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond.

The primary goal of Artemis I was to thoroughly test the SLS and Orion spacecraft’s integrated systems before crewed missions. Under Artemis, NASA aims to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon and establish sustainable lunar exploration.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Cory Huston

SpaceX's Endurance Capsule May Come Home with an Extra Crew Member Due to Last Month's Soyuz Leak...

NASA

NASA Astronauts Complete Seat Liner Move (News Release)

On January 17, NASA Flight Engineer Josh Cassada, with assistance from NASA Flight Engineer Nicole Mann, worked inside the SpaceX Dragon Endurance crew ship collecting tools and readying the spacecraft for a seat liner move. The seat liner move, completed today, January 18, ensures that NASA Flight Engineer Frank Rubio will be able to return to Earth in the unlikely event of an emergency evacuation from the International Space Station.

Rubio originally launched to the station with cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin aboard the Soyuz MS-22 crew ship on September 21, 2022. The change allows for increased crew protection by reducing the heat load inside the MS-22 spacecraft for Prokopyev and Petelin in case of an emergency return to Earth.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA TV

Artemis 1's Main Passenger Heads Home After Its Trip to the Moon...

NASA / Cory Huston

Commander Moonikin Campos Returns from Artemis I Mission (News Release)

Commander Moonikin Campos, a sensored stand-in for humans from NASA’s Artemis I mission, is packed within its transport crate inside the Space Station Processing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 10, 2023, for its trip back to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Moonikin Campos was secured inside the Orion spacecraft for the mission beyond the Moon and back to Earth.

Artemis I Orion launched atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39B on November 16, 2022, at 1:47 a.m. EST for a 25-day trip beyond the Moon and back. During the flight, Orion flew farther than any human-rated spacecraft has ever flown, paving the way for human deep space exploration and demonstrating NASA’s commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond.

The primary goal of Artemis I was to thoroughly test the SLS and Orion spacecraft’s integrated systems before crewed missions. Under Artemis, NASA aims to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon and establish sustainable lunar exploration.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Cory Huston

On This Day in 2003: The Final Launch of Columbia...

NASA

It was 20 years ago today that space shuttle Columbia lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on her final flight, STS-107.

What was supposed to be an almost 16-day lab mission before Columbia would finally be used in the assembly campaign for the then-fledgling International Space Station (unlike her sister ships Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour, Columbia was initially too heavy to fly up to the ISS before modifications were made to NASA's oldest orbiter) turned out to be the second disaster in the Space Shuttle Program, behind the 1986 loss of Challenger.

Columbia's fate was sealed when a piece of foam broke off from her external fuel tank's left bipod 81.7 seconds after liftoff (which occurred at 10:39 AM, EST), and struck the reinforced carbon-carbon panel on the orbiter's portside wing 0.2 seconds later. Mission Control at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Texas and the seven STS-107 astronauts themselves were unaware of this, and didn't know what would transpire over two weeks later...on February 1, 2003.


NASA

SpaceShipTwo May Resume Flights a Few Months from Now...

Virgin Galactic

Virgin Galactic Evolves Aerospace Leadership Structure in Preparation for Commercial Spaceline Operations (Press Release)

Commercial Service Remains on Track to Launch in Q2 2023

Orange County, Calif. – Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPCE) (the “Company” or “Virgin Galactic”), an aerospace and space travel company, today announced its updated leadership structure to support commercial spaceline operations, which are on track for Q2 2023 as previously announced by the Company. The organizational changes will support the Company’s core near-term objectives of delivering increased flight frequency and executing on rapid fleet development plans.

As part of this leadership update, Swami Iyer, President, Aerospace Systems, will be departing from his position, effective January 12, 2023. He will continue to serve as an advisor to Michael Colglazier, CEO of the Company, until March 3, 2023 to ensure a smooth transition.

"With the completion of the enhancement program for our mothership at hand, our streamlined leadership structure will help propel the business forward as we prepare for commercial spaceline operations,” said Colglazier. “Swami has been instrumental in establishing our future production strategy and in leading the work to prepare our initial ships for commercial flight, and we are incredibly grateful for his contribution. Our experienced leadership team brings deep expertise to the next exciting phase for the Company — flying our customers safely and regularly to space and expanding our future fleet.”

The leadership team of industry veterans leading Virgin Galactic’s spaceline operations includes:

Mike Moses, President, Spaceline Missions and Safety

Moses has led flight and mission operations at Virgin Galactic since 2011 following his seventeen-year career at NASA, where he led space shuttle launch operations until the shuttle retired from service in 2011.

Mike Moore, Executive Vice President, Spaceline Technical Operations

Moore joined Virgin Galactic in 2022 following a long and successful career as SVP, Technical Operations with Delta Airlines. His team at Virgin Galactic works to ensure vehicles are manufactured, maintained and sustained to the highest standards of quality, reliability and efficiency.

Steve Justice, Senior Vice President, Spaceline Programs and Engineering

Justice - a 39-year veteran of Lockheed Martin and a “legend” in its Skunk Works division - leads the design, engineering and program management of Virgin Galactic’s spaceflight system and future fleet development.

Planned upgrades of VMS Eve are complete, and the mothership is expected to enter ground tests next week before commencing flight tests to verify the enhancements to the ship. Commercial service remains on track to begin in Q2 2023.

Source: Virgin Galactic

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Virgin Galactic

Equipment from the Artemis 1 Capsule Will Soon Be Removed for Reuse on Artemis 2...

NASA / Ben Smegelsky

Technicians Open Artemis I Orion Hatch for Post-Mission Processing (News Release)

Inside the Multi-Payload Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, engineers and technicians opened the hatch of the Orion spacecraft for the Artemis I mission after a 1.4-million mile journey beyond the Moon and back. Orion returned to Kennedy on December 30, 2022, after splashing down in the Pacific Ocean on December 11.

In this photo (above), a technician stands inside the crew module to remove payloads and assess the capsule. The team has removed all of the purposeful passengers and zero gravity indicator Snoopy, and moved them to labs inside one of Kennedy's processing facilities.

While Artemis I did not have crew onboard, the three human-like payloads on Artemis I will help scientists and engineers understand how to best protect astronauts on future Artemis missions to the Moon.

This week technicians will extract nine avionics boxes from Orion, which will subsequently be refurbished for Artemis II, the first mission with astronauts. Contents include a video processing unit, GPS receiver, four crew module phased array antennas and three Orion inertial measurement units.

The crew seat that Commander Moonikin Campos occupied on Artemis I will also be refurbished for flight on Artemis II.

In the coming months, technicians will remove hazardous commodities that remain onboard. Once complete, the spacecraft will journey to NASA Glenn’s Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility for abort-level acoustic vibration and other environmental testing.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA / Ben Smegelsky

Photos of the Day: Starship Super Heavy Moves a Step Closer to Its Inaugural Launch This Year...

SpaceX

Earlier today, Starship Serial No. 24 (SN24) and Super Heavy Booster 7 (B7) were re-stacked on the Orbital Launch Mount at Starbase, Texas. With the super heavy-lift launch vehicle whole at the pad once more, SpaceX has a few more demonstrations to conduct before SN24 and B7 are finally ready to embark on their orbital test flight...namely a wet dress rehearsal and much-anticipated static fire for all 33 Raptor 2 engines on B7.

Stay tuned!


SpaceX


SpaceX


SpaceX


SpaceX


SpaceX

Ship 24 stacked on Super Heavy Booster 7 at Starbase in Texas pic.twitter.com/hLcghfq349

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) January 10, 2023

Apollo's Successor Is About to Begin a New Round of Testing Following Its Historic Flight to the Moon...

NASA / Skip Williams

Heat Shield Inspections Underway on Artemis I Orion Spacecraft (News Release)

Inside the Multi-Payload Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, engineers and technicians conduct inspections of the heat shield on the Orion spacecraft for the Artemis I mission. Orion returned to Kennedy on December 30, 2022, after splashing down in the Pacific Ocean on December 11, following a 1.4-million-mile mission beyond the Moon and back.

In this photo, technicians underneath the crew module closely examine the heat shield, which endured temperatures near 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit during reentry through Earth’s atmosphere. The heat shield will be removed from the spacecraft and taken to another facility for further detailed inspections.

Teams are also inspecting the windows of the capsule along with the thermal protection on the back shell panels that cover the spacecraft to protect it from the harsh conditions both in space and during the high-speed, high-heat reentry.

On top of the capsule is the deflated crew module uprighting system, which is a group of five air bags that position the capsule right side up after splashdown and were deflated prior to transport back to Kennedy. While still in the transfer aisle of the facility, engineers are in the process of removing external avionics boxes.

Technicians will take air samples within the capsule ahead of repositioning it into a service stand that will allow access to the interior. Upon opening the hatch, technicians will remove the internal avionics boxes and payloads.

After conducting detailed inspections and testing, the avionics boxes will be reused for the Artemis II mission.

De-servicing will continue in the coming months with the removal of the hazardous commodities that remain on board. Once complete, the spacecraft will journey to NASA Glenn’s Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility for abort-level acoustic vibration and other environmental testing.

Source: NASA.Gov

Inspiration4's Jared Isaacman and His Next Crew Continue to Prep for Their Historic Flight Aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon This Year...

Polaris Program / John Kraus

Polaris Dawn Crew Participates in a Decompression Sickness Study at NASA’s Johnson Space Center (News Release - January 3)

The Polaris Dawn crew participated in a decompression sickness (DCS) study to characterize the risk of the planned Polaris Dawn decompression profile in the 20 Foot Chamber at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, on December 18-20. The facility originally served as a platform for similar atmospheric modulation tests in the early 1970s ahead of NASA’s missions to Skylab, the United States’ first space station.

The risk of decompression sickness is lowered when the amount of nitrogen is reduced in one’s body. Current extravehicular activity (EVA) decompression models – such as those used on the International Space Station – achieve this during a long-duration 100% oxygen prebreathe exercise in an airlock.

The Dragon spacecraft, however, does not have an airlock, requiring the entire vehicle (including crewmembers) to decompress down to vacuum with a limited prebreathe. In anticipation of the mission’s EVA attempt, this study characterized DCS risk for Polaris Dawn and will help SpaceX develop a new decompression model for EVAs from Dragon.

Decompression sickness is more commonly known as “the bends” and is typically associated with scuba diving. When a rapid drop in air pressure occurs, nitrogen gas bubbles can form in the body and cause pain in the joints, damage skin, or create feelings of numbness, tingling in muscles, or physical fatigue.

With potential DCS symptoms being vague and individual susceptibility varying significantly, it was important that the crew got experience monitoring and reporting DCS symptoms, in addition to understanding the likelihood for DCS to occur during the actual EVA.

The crew lived in the chamber for just under two days, simulating the mission’s expected pressure and oxygen profiles to determine how likely it is for DCS symptoms to occur – if at all. Throughout the test, a team of medical professionals monitored the crew for symptoms, ready to intervene and provide immediate medical treatment if necessary.

In addition to characterizing DCS risk, the event allowed for the crew and teams to practice monitoring for and reporting EVA-related medical information over communication loops ahead of the mission’s actual spacewalk.

Source: Polaris Program

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Polaris Program


Polaris Program

Remembering Apollo 7's Lunar Module Pilot...

NASA

Apollo Astronaut Walter Cunningham Dies at 90 (Press Release)

Former astronaut Walter Cunningham, who flew into space on Apollo 7, the first flight with crew in NASA’s Apollo Program, died early Tuesday morning in Houston. He was 90 years old.

“Walt Cunningham was a fighter pilot, physicist and an entrepreneur – but, above all, he was an explorer. On Apollo 7, the first launch of a crewed Apollo mission, Walt and his crewmates made history, paving the way for the Artemis Generation we see today,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “NASA will always remember his contributions to our nation’s space program and sends our condolences to the Cunningham family.”

Cunningham was born on March 16, 1932, in Creston, Iowa. He graduated from Venice High School, in Venice, California, before going on to receive a Bachelor of Arts with honors in physics in 1960 and a Master of Arts with distinction in physics in 1961 from the University of California at Los Angeles.

He then completed a doctorate in physics with exception of thesis at the Advanced Management Program in the Harvard Graduate School of Business in 1974.

The Cunningham family offered the following statement: “We would like to express our immense pride in the life that he lived, and our deep gratitude for the man that he was – a patriot, an explorer, pilot, astronaut, husband, brother and father. The world has lost another true hero, and we will miss him dearly.”

He joined the Navy in 1951 and served on active duty with the U.S. Marine Corps, retiring with the rank of colonel. He flew 54 missions as a night fighter pilot in Korea.

Cunningham worked as a scientist for the Rand Corporation for three years. While with Rand, he worked on classified defense studies and problems related to the Earth's magnetosphere.

Cunningham has accumulated more than 4,500 hours of flying time in 40 different aircraft, including more than 3,400 in jet aircraft.

Cunningham was selected as an astronaut in 1963 as part of NASA's third astronaut class.

“On behalf of NASA's Johnson Space Center, we are beholden to Walt's service to our nation and dedication to the advancement of human space exploration,” said Vanessa Wyche, center director. “Walt's accomplished legacy will continue to serve as an inspiration to us all.”

Prior to his assignment to the Apollo 7 crew, Cunningham was on the prime crew for Apollo 2 until it was cancelled and the backup lunar module pilot for Apollo 1.

On October 11, 1968, Cunningham piloted the 11-day flight of Apollo 7, the first human flight test of the Apollo spacecraft. With Walter M. Schirra, Jr. and Donn F. Eisele, he tested maneuvers necessary for docking and lunar orbit rendezvous using the third stage of their Saturn IB launch vehicle.

The crew successfully completed eight tests, igniting the service module engine, measuring the accuracy of performance of all spacecraft systems, and providing the first live television transmission of onboard crew activities. The 263-hour, 4.5-million-mile flight splashed down on October 22, 1968, in the Atlantic Ocean.

Cunningham’s last assignment at NASA Johnson was chief of the Skylab branch of the Flight Crew Directorate. In this capacity, he was responsible for the operational inputs for five major pieces of manned space hardware, two different launch vehicles and 56 major experiments that comprised the Skylab Program.

Cunningham retired from NASA in 1971 and would go on to lead multiple technical and financial organizations. He served in senior leadership roles with Century Development Corp., Hydrotech Development Company and 3D International.

Cunningham was also a longtime investor and entrepreneur, organizing small businesses and private investment firms. He was also a frequent keynote speaker and radio talk show host.

His numerous awards include the NASA Exceptional Service Medal and NASA Distinguished Service Medal. For his service he was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame, International Space Hall of Fame, Iowa Aviation Hall of Fame, San Diego Air and Space Museum Hall of Fame, and Houston Hall of Fame.

Cunningham and the Apollo 7 crew also earned an Emmy in the form of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Special Trustee Award.

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