Ordinarily I relabel my reporter tracks before sending to editing. But today’s GPS-generated title is too wonderful to pass up. I’m not in Italy, but former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Georgia congressional district.
NASA Inspector General report on SpaceX and Blue Origin lunar lander contracts oig.nasa.gov/office-of-in...
U.S. Space Force predicts Van Allen Probe A to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere March 10. NASA expects most of the spacecraft to burn up, but some components to survive. According to a NASA spokesperson, “The risk of harm coming to anyone on Earth is low — approximately 1 in 4,200.” | Image credit: NASA
An early April launch looks possible for the Artemis II mission to send four astronauts around the Moon and back. Engineers are making progress on repairs to the rocket ahead of a possible roll back to the launch pad later this month. Here's the latest update from NASA:
Still no official launch date for Artemis 2, but NASA has set a new path for the missions that follow.
President Trump departs West Palm Beach to return to Washington after a weekend monitoring Iran developments from Mar-a-Lago
NASA still plans to send astronauts to lunar south pole in 2028, but adds new Artemis mission in 2027 to test landing equipment closer to home
NASA announces major changes to Artemis Moon program: Artemis III, originally slated to land astronauts on the lunar south pole by 2028, will now launch in 2027, but without a Moon landing. Mission will test docking with lunar lander/s. Artemis IV will attempt the actual lunar landing in 2028.
In a statement issued through NASA, astronaut Mike Fincke reveals he was the crew member who required medical evacuation from the International Space Station
The Artemis II astronauts have been released from preflight quarantine because a March launch is no longer possible. April is still on the table. NASA is waiting for winds to die down before rolling the rocket back to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to repair a helium flow problem.
Potential Artemis II launch dates in April include April 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 30.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman says rollback to Vehicle Assembly Building to repair helium flow problem on Artemis II rocket will take March launch window for Moon mission out of consideration. Here are the potential launch dates in April.
NASA considers returning Artemis II Moon rocket to Vehicle Assembly Building after observing interrupted helium flow in system required for launch. NASA: “This will almost assuredly impact the March launch window.” | Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky
NASA targets March 6 for launch of Artemis II Moon mission after successful "wet dress rehearsal" (fueling test with simulated countdown). Crew will enter pre-flight quarantine this evening. News conference underway:
President Trump greets supporters before delivering politically-charged economic speech in former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Georgia district.
“Without tariffs this country would be in such trouble right now.” During Georgia visit, President Trump talked jobs and inflation, but also old grievances over 2020 election loss, now getting new investigation. “FBI came in and raided. They found plenty of stuff. And now they have the ballots.”
Boeing’s statement on the Starliner report
"Today, we are formally declaring a Type A mishap and ensuring leadership accountability so situations like this never reoccur," says NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman as space agency releases full report on Boeing Starliner crewed flight test:
NASA leaders to discuss findings of investigations into 2024 Boeing Starliner crewed flight test at 2 p.m. ET. Intermittent thruster problems led NASA to have test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams extend their mission on the International Space Station and return on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.
NASA to perform second fueling test with simulated countdown (wet dress rehearsal) Feb. 19 to determine whether engineers have fixed launch pad fueling equipment leaks. Outcome will help NASA schedule Artemis II Moon launch with March 6 as the earliest opportunity. | Image credit: NASA/Sam Lott
Valentine's Day arrival: Crew-12's eight-month mission in space is off to a rolling start ➡️ jonathanserrie.com/Crew12 | Video credit: NASA
Just in time for Valentine's Day! Crew-12's arrival increases International Space Station population from three to seven. | Video credit: NASA
Crew-12 docks with International Space Station. | Video credit: NASA/SpaceX
“Docking confirmed!” Crew-12 arrives at International Space Station. | Image credit: NASA
Crew-12 launch highlights | Video credit: NASA/SpaceX
An especially loud sonic boom accompanied the Falcon 9 booster landing following the predawn launch of Crew-12.
Liftoff. Go Crew-12!
Bright and shiny with photographer Chad and producer Chip at Kennedy Space Center, where Crew-12 is scheduled to launch at 5:15 a.m. EST.
A day before Crew-12 liftoff, forecast looks 90% favorable at the launch site. Up from 85% yesterday. However, moderate concerns persist over conditions at emergency splashdown sites under the Falcon 9 rocket's projected flight path during ascent.
Prior to rocket launches, the U.S. Space Force issues a forecast showing the probability of weather conditions unfavorable for liftoff on the target launch day as well as backup launch days. For NASA's Crew-12 mission, which is targeting liftoff on Friday, Feb. 13 at 5:15 a.m. EST on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, there is a 15% chance of weather conditions unfavorable for launch. The primary concerns are a slight potential for rain clouds over the launch site and a "moderate" risk of unfavorable weather conditions at emergency splashdown sites under the rocket's flight path over the Atlantic Ocean prior to reaching orbit (ascent corridor). The probability of unfavorable weather increases to 20% on the next backup launch opportunity (Sunday morning) and 30% on Monday.
Forecast shows a 15% probability of weather conditions unfavorable for Friday, Feb. 13 liftoff, but I'm a glass 85% full kind of guy. Go Crew-12!
With each predawn launch opportunity getting progressively earlier, members of Crew-12 have been sleep shifting. Current target is Friday Feb. 13 at 5:15 a.m. EST with the next backup launch opportunity Sunday Feb. 15 at 4:27 a.m. EST. | Video:
NASA, Feb. 8 | More ➡️ jonathanserrie.com/Crew12
