Watch live as SpaceX launches a communications satellite for Arabsat
(scheduled approx. 10 minutes after this post time)
SpaceX
-
Karearea
- Chief Pilot
- Posts: 4820
- Joined: Thu Sep 10, 2015 5:47 am
- Location: The South Island, New Zealand
Re: SpaceX
"And to think that it's the same dear old Moon..."
Re: SpaceX
Falcon launched Euclid for the ESA. Amazingly SpaceX have also completed 28 re-supply missions to the ISS.
-
OneHungLow
- Chief Pilot
- Posts: 2140
- Joined: Thu Mar 30, 2023 8:28 pm
- Location: Johannesburg
- Gender:
Re: SpaceX
It is a very impressive record. In this case SpaceX stepped in late to accommodate the ESA telescope launch.
https://www.space.com/space-rocket-laun ... -telescopeThe European astrophysics mission had no choice but to fly American. ESA had planned to launch the spacecraft on either a Russian Soyuz rocket or Europe’s new Ariane 6 rocket. But because of a break in the European-Russian space relationship after the invasion of Ukraine, and delays for Ariane 6, ESA moved some launches to SpaceX, including Euclid.
The observer of fools in military south and north...
Re: SpaceX
SpaceX aborts Falcon 9 rocket's record-tying 16th launch attempt
By Mike Wall published about 12 hours ago
The launch was called off with 40 seconds left in the countdown.
https://www.space.com/spacex-falcon-9-s ... SmartBrief
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will have to wait a bit longer to tie a reuse record.
The company had planned to launch 54 of its Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida atop a Falcon 9 on Friday at 12:40 a.m. EDT (0440 GMT). It'll be the 16th mission for this particular rocket's first stage, matching a mark set less than a week ago by another Falcon 9.
But it didn't happen: The SpaceX mission team called an abort about 40 seconds before T-0, for reasons that weren't immediately clear.
"There are 1,000 ways to launch a rocket, and there's only one way that it can go right," SpaceX's Atticus Vadera said during Friday morning's launch webcast. "So, given that, we are overly cautious on the ground. And if the team or the vehicle sees anything that looks just even slightly off, we will stop the countdown."
The Falcon 9 and the Starlink satellites are in good health, Vadera added.
There's still plenty of spaceflight action on Friday, even without the SpaceX mission. India plans to launch its robotic Chandrayaan 3 mission at 5:05 a.m. EDT (0905), for example, sending a lander and rover toward the moon.
And on Friday evening, a Rocket Lab Electron vehicle will launch seven small satellites from its site on the North Island of New Zealand. The company plans to recover the Electron's first stage after liftoff, part of its effort to make the booster reusable like the Falcon 9.
PP
By Mike Wall published about 12 hours ago
The launch was called off with 40 seconds left in the countdown.
https://www.space.com/spacex-falcon-9-s ... SmartBrief
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will have to wait a bit longer to tie a reuse record.
The company had planned to launch 54 of its Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida atop a Falcon 9 on Friday at 12:40 a.m. EDT (0440 GMT). It'll be the 16th mission for this particular rocket's first stage, matching a mark set less than a week ago by another Falcon 9.
But it didn't happen: The SpaceX mission team called an abort about 40 seconds before T-0, for reasons that weren't immediately clear.
"There are 1,000 ways to launch a rocket, and there's only one way that it can go right," SpaceX's Atticus Vadera said during Friday morning's launch webcast. "So, given that, we are overly cautious on the ground. And if the team or the vehicle sees anything that looks just even slightly off, we will stop the countdown."
The Falcon 9 and the Starlink satellites are in good health, Vadera added.
There's still plenty of spaceflight action on Friday, even without the SpaceX mission. India plans to launch its robotic Chandrayaan 3 mission at 5:05 a.m. EDT (0905), for example, sending a lander and rover toward the moon.
And on Friday evening, a Rocket Lab Electron vehicle will launch seven small satellites from its site on the North Island of New Zealand. The company plans to recover the Electron's first stage after liftoff, part of its effort to make the booster reusable like the Falcon 9.
PP
Re: SpaceX
SpaceX aborts Starlink satellite launch with 5 seconds left in countdown
By Mike Wall published about 11 hours ago
It was the second abort for SpaceX in less than a week.
https://www.space.com/spacex-starlink-l ... SmartBrief
SpaceX just aborted a rocket launch for the second time in less than a week.
One of the company's Falcon 9 rockets was scheduled to launch 15 Starlink internet satellites from California's foggy Vandenberg Space Force Base on Wednesday (July 19) at 1:25 a.m. EDT (0525 GMT; 10:25 p.m. local California time on July 18).
But it wasn't to be: The launch team called things off with just five seconds left on the countdown clock.
"There are thousands of ways a launch can go wrong and only one way that it can go right," SpaceX's Zach Luppen said during the webcast of the planned launch. "Given that, we are overly cautious on the ground. And if the team or the vehicle sees anything that just looks even slightly off, they'll stop the countdown."
SpaceX's Atticus Vadera uttered very similar words on July 14, after the launch team called off the planned liftoff of a Falcon 9 topped with 54 Starlink satellites from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. That rocket flew without incident the next day, acing its record-tying 16th mission.
It's unclear what caused Wednesday's abort; the mission team did not specify the issue during the webcast, which ended shortly after the launch was scrubbed. (The weather was good enough for launch, despite the thick fog at Vandenberg.)
But Luppen said that the rocket and the Starlink satellites are in good health. And SpaceX aims to launch again soon: The company said via Twitter that it's targeting Wednesday (July 19) for the next liftoff. Presumably, that means a 24-hour delay, with a launch Wednesday night California time, which is early Thursday (July 20) EDT and GMT.
Editor's note: This story was updated at 2:15 a.m. EDT on July 19 with the new target date of July 19 California time
PP
By Mike Wall published about 11 hours ago
It was the second abort for SpaceX in less than a week.
https://www.space.com/spacex-starlink-l ... SmartBrief
SpaceX just aborted a rocket launch for the second time in less than a week.
One of the company's Falcon 9 rockets was scheduled to launch 15 Starlink internet satellites from California's foggy Vandenberg Space Force Base on Wednesday (July 19) at 1:25 a.m. EDT (0525 GMT; 10:25 p.m. local California time on July 18).
But it wasn't to be: The launch team called things off with just five seconds left on the countdown clock.
"There are thousands of ways a launch can go wrong and only one way that it can go right," SpaceX's Zach Luppen said during the webcast of the planned launch. "Given that, we are overly cautious on the ground. And if the team or the vehicle sees anything that just looks even slightly off, they'll stop the countdown."
SpaceX's Atticus Vadera uttered very similar words on July 14, after the launch team called off the planned liftoff of a Falcon 9 topped with 54 Starlink satellites from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. That rocket flew without incident the next day, acing its record-tying 16th mission.
It's unclear what caused Wednesday's abort; the mission team did not specify the issue during the webcast, which ended shortly after the launch was scrubbed. (The weather was good enough for launch, despite the thick fog at Vandenberg.)
But Luppen said that the rocket and the Starlink satellites are in good health. And SpaceX aims to launch again soon: The company said via Twitter that it's targeting Wednesday (July 19) for the next liftoff. Presumably, that means a 24-hour delay, with a launch Wednesday night California time, which is early Thursday (July 20) EDT and GMT.
Editor's note: This story was updated at 2:15 a.m. EDT on July 19 with the new target date of July 19 California time
PP
Re: SpaceX
Worth flagging up that one of the satellite launches by SpaceX this week used a Falcon on its 16th flight!! Ain't that something? 
Re: SpaceX
Now over 50 launches this year by SpaceX! Word on the street is to expect static fires this month on B9.
Re: SpaceX
B9 static fire today. All 33 were lit, but apparently 4 shut down prematurely and the test only ran for 2.74 seconds of the planned 5. The water deluge system looked to perform perfectly and it remains to see how the pad stood up to it and why the motors quit.
Fireworks start about 2:10
Fireworks start about 2:10
Re: SpaceX
SpaceX's Crew-7 mission will launch international crew to ISS next week
By Elizabeth Howell published about 7 hours ago
The launch is set for Aug. 25 using a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.
https://www.space.com/nasa-spacex-crew- ... SmartBrief
A multinational crew of astronauts is ready for their journey to space.
Four astronauts from four countries will fly on SpaceX Dragon capsule to the International Space Station for a six-month mission. They will launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center on SpaceX's Crew-7 flight no earlier than Aug. 25, and you can watch the whole thing live here at Space.com, via NASA Television.
"It's one of the things I think we're most proud of, is what we represent by being an all-international group," NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, who will become the second Iranian-American astronaut to reach space, told reporters during a livestreamed press conference on July 25.
"It's something that is very special and important to each of us, to represent what we can do when we work together in harmony," added Moghbeli of her three Crew-7 colleagues — European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Konstantin Borisov of Russia's space agency, Roscosmos.
CLOSE
International cooperation in space is shifting quickly. NASA and JAXA are both signatories of the Artemis Accords for peaceful moon exploration, as are some ESA member states. The alliance currently includes 28 countries, most recently Argentina, which signed during a trip by NASA Administrator Bill Nelson to South America.
NASA's Artemis program aims to land astronauts on the moon in 2025 or 2026, pending success of the Artemis 2 crewed mission around the moon set for November 2024 and hardware development of surface spacesuits and SpaceX's Starship vehicle, which will be Artemis' first lunar lander. Over the longer haul, Artemis aims to establish a long-term human presence on and around the moon.
Russia is not a signatory to the Artemis Accords and has its own crewed moon plans with China; the two countries recently signed Venezuela into what they say will be their own international agreement. That said, NASA's relations with Russia have mostly been normal when it comes to ISS activities, and Russia has pledged to stay with the orbiting complex until at least 2028. (All other participating countries have agreed to remain until 2030.)
Such ongoing cooperation with Russia is increasingly rare; NASA, ESA and other major space players ended many of their collaborations with Russia after the nation's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. China and NASA also cannot work together much, under longstanding U.S. policy rooted in security concerns.
The Crew-7 astronauts (and their agencies) have been sending out positive partnership messages despite such issues. For example, Mogensen emphasized how well the ISS alliance has been working together throughout the 25 years the complex has been in orbit.
"One lesson that we've learned through the international partnership is how important that cooperation has has been, and how much we can actually achieve together when we work together," he said during the same press conference.
As always, the dinner table will host international meals with local flavors provided by the respective crews. Moghbeli, whose family celebrates both Christmas and Hannukah, is considering some way of bringing latkes to space, she told Space.com in an individual Zoom interview later that on July 25. She also plans to bring Persian food, but said exactly what will remain a secret for now.
Furukawa plans "steamed rice, Korean raw curry and mochi with the soft balls," he said in an individual Zoom interview. Borisov didn't provide specifics about what Russia will have for him this time, but said during the press conference that he is "just excited that there will be so much food," estimating there are at least 100 different combinations the astronauts could sample during their time in space.
For spare time activities, Borisov said in an individual interview that he would love to continue his yoga practice, but he is not sure how to achieve that in zero gravity, given most of the positions require balancing against something. Mogensen told Space.com he plans to photograph auroras and lightning for work and pleasure.
Regretfully, Furukawa said he likely won't replicate the epic Lego build that he conducted on the ISS in 2012, assembling a space station in a sealed box. "Building Lego in microgravity is very special, because you need to use special techniques to keep it in place," he said during an individual interview with Space.com. "You cannot put them on a table; you need to have kind of special Velcro, or rubber bands, to keep them in."
Crew-7 is expected to stay about 190 days on the ISS, NASA officials said in a press conference. A Soyuz spacecraft mission will launch with its own three-person crew in mid-September for a 190-day mission, carrying Russian cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub, along with NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara.
A Russian Soyuz vehicle and one of the nation's Progress cargo spacecraft recently had sudden leaks of coolant while docked with the ISS. Both NASA and Roscosmos independently concluded that those incidents were due to something in the external environment, NASA officials said during another livestreamed briefing on July 25.
Also expected during the Crew-7 mission will be a reboost of the ISS' orbit using an already docked Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo spacecraft. This will be the third such maneuver with a Cygnus, which serves as a backup to the main reboost plan that relies upon Russian Progress spacecraft.
The ISS naturally sinks deeper into Earth's atmosphere over time due to drag from molecules of air, and the station requires these boosts to stay flying. With Russia expected to leave the ISS sooner than the other partners, NASA is working on other ways to keep the space station going after Russia's departure.
PP
By Elizabeth Howell published about 7 hours ago
The launch is set for Aug. 25 using a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.
https://www.space.com/nasa-spacex-crew- ... SmartBrief
A multinational crew of astronauts is ready for their journey to space.
Four astronauts from four countries will fly on SpaceX Dragon capsule to the International Space Station for a six-month mission. They will launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center on SpaceX's Crew-7 flight no earlier than Aug. 25, and you can watch the whole thing live here at Space.com, via NASA Television.
"It's one of the things I think we're most proud of, is what we represent by being an all-international group," NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, who will become the second Iranian-American astronaut to reach space, told reporters during a livestreamed press conference on July 25.
"It's something that is very special and important to each of us, to represent what we can do when we work together in harmony," added Moghbeli of her three Crew-7 colleagues — European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Konstantin Borisov of Russia's space agency, Roscosmos.
CLOSE
International cooperation in space is shifting quickly. NASA and JAXA are both signatories of the Artemis Accords for peaceful moon exploration, as are some ESA member states. The alliance currently includes 28 countries, most recently Argentina, which signed during a trip by NASA Administrator Bill Nelson to South America.
NASA's Artemis program aims to land astronauts on the moon in 2025 or 2026, pending success of the Artemis 2 crewed mission around the moon set for November 2024 and hardware development of surface spacesuits and SpaceX's Starship vehicle, which will be Artemis' first lunar lander. Over the longer haul, Artemis aims to establish a long-term human presence on and around the moon.
Russia is not a signatory to the Artemis Accords and has its own crewed moon plans with China; the two countries recently signed Venezuela into what they say will be their own international agreement. That said, NASA's relations with Russia have mostly been normal when it comes to ISS activities, and Russia has pledged to stay with the orbiting complex until at least 2028. (All other participating countries have agreed to remain until 2030.)
Such ongoing cooperation with Russia is increasingly rare; NASA, ESA and other major space players ended many of their collaborations with Russia after the nation's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. China and NASA also cannot work together much, under longstanding U.S. policy rooted in security concerns.
The Crew-7 astronauts (and their agencies) have been sending out positive partnership messages despite such issues. For example, Mogensen emphasized how well the ISS alliance has been working together throughout the 25 years the complex has been in orbit.
"One lesson that we've learned through the international partnership is how important that cooperation has has been, and how much we can actually achieve together when we work together," he said during the same press conference.
As always, the dinner table will host international meals with local flavors provided by the respective crews. Moghbeli, whose family celebrates both Christmas and Hannukah, is considering some way of bringing latkes to space, she told Space.com in an individual Zoom interview later that on July 25. She also plans to bring Persian food, but said exactly what will remain a secret for now.
Furukawa plans "steamed rice, Korean raw curry and mochi with the soft balls," he said in an individual Zoom interview. Borisov didn't provide specifics about what Russia will have for him this time, but said during the press conference that he is "just excited that there will be so much food," estimating there are at least 100 different combinations the astronauts could sample during their time in space.
For spare time activities, Borisov said in an individual interview that he would love to continue his yoga practice, but he is not sure how to achieve that in zero gravity, given most of the positions require balancing against something. Mogensen told Space.com he plans to photograph auroras and lightning for work and pleasure.
Regretfully, Furukawa said he likely won't replicate the epic Lego build that he conducted on the ISS in 2012, assembling a space station in a sealed box. "Building Lego in microgravity is very special, because you need to use special techniques to keep it in place," he said during an individual interview with Space.com. "You cannot put them on a table; you need to have kind of special Velcro, or rubber bands, to keep them in."
Crew-7 is expected to stay about 190 days on the ISS, NASA officials said in a press conference. A Soyuz spacecraft mission will launch with its own three-person crew in mid-September for a 190-day mission, carrying Russian cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub, along with NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara.
A Russian Soyuz vehicle and one of the nation's Progress cargo spacecraft recently had sudden leaks of coolant while docked with the ISS. Both NASA and Roscosmos independently concluded that those incidents were due to something in the external environment, NASA officials said during another livestreamed briefing on July 25.
Also expected during the Crew-7 mission will be a reboost of the ISS' orbit using an already docked Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo spacecraft. This will be the third such maneuver with a Cygnus, which serves as a backup to the main reboost plan that relies upon Russian Progress spacecraft.
The ISS naturally sinks deeper into Earth's atmosphere over time due to drag from molecules of air, and the station requires these boosts to stay flying. With Russia expected to leave the ISS sooner than the other partners, NASA is working on other ways to keep the space station going after Russia's departure.
PP
Re: SpaceX
What time will SpaceX launch the Crew-7 astronauts for NASA on Aug. 25?
By Elizabeth Howell last updated about 3 hours ago
SpaceX's Crew-7 mission aims to launch 4 astronauts to the International Space Station on Aug. 25.
https://www.space.com/spacex-crew-7-ast ... SmartBrief
Four astronauts from four countries are about to make a long journey in space.
The SpaceX Crew-7 mission will launch to the International Space Station no earlier than Friday (Aug. 25) at 3:50 a.m. EDT (0750 GMT) with four astronauts onboard. The launch timing may change due to weather or technical factors.
You can watch the broadcast live on YouTube, with the feed via NASA Television, starting Thursday (Aug. 24) at 11:45 p.m. EDT (0345 GMT Friday, Aug. 25). Video will continue until the SpaceX Crew Dragon reaches orbit.
Crew-7 includes NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Konstantin Borisov of Russia's space agency, Roscosmos.
Related: SpaceX's Crew-7 mission will launch international crew to ISS
WHAT TIME IS THE CREW-7 LAUNCH WITH 4 ASTRONAUTS?
Click here for more Space.com videos...
NASA plans to run the broadcast live on the agency's YouTube channel starting Thursday (Aug. 24) at 11:45 p.m. EDT (0345 GMT Friday, Aug. 25). The broadcast will continue until the Crew Dragon is inserted in Earth's orbit.
While video will cease after that, the audio will continue on this NASA YouTube channel up to the ISS docking. Then video will resume on the main NASA YouTube channel around 12:15 a.m. EDT (0415 GMT) on Saturday, Aug. 27. Again, this timing may change depending on how the mission is going.
CAN I WATCH THE CREW-7 LAUNCH ONLINE?
You can watch the broadcast live on YouTube, also visible above this article, starting Thursday (Aug. 24) at 11:45 p.m. EDT (0345 GMT Friday, Aug. 25).
The exact broadcast length is not known at this time, as it depends on the mission and its progress. Things can change rapidly, but we'll keep you posted about major milestones.
WHO IS RIDING ONBOARD CREW-7?
four astronauts standing in a row in white spacesuits and smiling. a line drawing of a rocket is partially visible behind them
The astronauts on NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 mission include, from left, Konstantin Borisov (Roscosmos), Andreas Mogensen (European Space Agency), Jasmin Moghbeli (NASA), and Satoshi Furukawa (Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency). (Image credit: SpaceX)
Four astronauts will ride aboard Crew-7 and each one of them comes from a different country.
The group includes NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Konstantin Borisov of Russia's space agency, Roscosmos.
Moghbeli and Borisov are both on their first flights, which will see Moghbeli become the second Iranian-American in space after first female space tourist Anousheh Ansari. (Ansari visited the ISS herself in 2006.) Mogensen and Furukawa have both been to space one time each, also staying on the ISS.
This story was updated Aug. 24 at 8 a.m. EDT to reflect new launch timing.
PP
By Elizabeth Howell last updated about 3 hours ago
SpaceX's Crew-7 mission aims to launch 4 astronauts to the International Space Station on Aug. 25.
https://www.space.com/spacex-crew-7-ast ... SmartBrief
Four astronauts from four countries are about to make a long journey in space.
The SpaceX Crew-7 mission will launch to the International Space Station no earlier than Friday (Aug. 25) at 3:50 a.m. EDT (0750 GMT) with four astronauts onboard. The launch timing may change due to weather or technical factors.
You can watch the broadcast live on YouTube, with the feed via NASA Television, starting Thursday (Aug. 24) at 11:45 p.m. EDT (0345 GMT Friday, Aug. 25). Video will continue until the SpaceX Crew Dragon reaches orbit.
Crew-7 includes NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Konstantin Borisov of Russia's space agency, Roscosmos.
Related: SpaceX's Crew-7 mission will launch international crew to ISS
WHAT TIME IS THE CREW-7 LAUNCH WITH 4 ASTRONAUTS?
Click here for more Space.com videos...
NASA plans to run the broadcast live on the agency's YouTube channel starting Thursday (Aug. 24) at 11:45 p.m. EDT (0345 GMT Friday, Aug. 25). The broadcast will continue until the Crew Dragon is inserted in Earth's orbit.
While video will cease after that, the audio will continue on this NASA YouTube channel up to the ISS docking. Then video will resume on the main NASA YouTube channel around 12:15 a.m. EDT (0415 GMT) on Saturday, Aug. 27. Again, this timing may change depending on how the mission is going.
CAN I WATCH THE CREW-7 LAUNCH ONLINE?
You can watch the broadcast live on YouTube, also visible above this article, starting Thursday (Aug. 24) at 11:45 p.m. EDT (0345 GMT Friday, Aug. 25).
The exact broadcast length is not known at this time, as it depends on the mission and its progress. Things can change rapidly, but we'll keep you posted about major milestones.
WHO IS RIDING ONBOARD CREW-7?
four astronauts standing in a row in white spacesuits and smiling. a line drawing of a rocket is partially visible behind them
The astronauts on NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 mission include, from left, Konstantin Borisov (Roscosmos), Andreas Mogensen (European Space Agency), Jasmin Moghbeli (NASA), and Satoshi Furukawa (Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency). (Image credit: SpaceX)
Four astronauts will ride aboard Crew-7 and each one of them comes from a different country.
The group includes NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Konstantin Borisov of Russia's space agency, Roscosmos.
Moghbeli and Borisov are both on their first flights, which will see Moghbeli become the second Iranian-American in space after first female space tourist Anousheh Ansari. (Ansari visited the ISS herself in 2006.) Mogensen and Furukawa have both been to space one time each, also staying on the ISS.
This story was updated Aug. 24 at 8 a.m. EDT to reflect new launch timing.
PP
Re: SpaceX
DOJ sues SpaceX, alleging hiring discrimination against refugees and asylum seekers
The lawsuit says between 2018 and 2022, SpaceX “wrongly claimed” that export control laws limited its hiring to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents.
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/ ... rcna101634
The U.S. Department of Justice sued SpaceX on Thursday, alleging Elon Musk’s space company discriminated against refugees and asylum seekers in its hiring practices.
The lawsuit says between 2018 and 2022, SpaceX “wrongly claimed” that export control laws limited its hiring to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents.
The DOJ has been investigating SpaceX since June 2020, when the department’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section received a complaint of employment discrimination from a non-U.S. citizen.
“Our investigation found that SpaceX failed to fairly consider or hire asylees and refugees because of their citizenship status and imposed what amounted to a ban on their hire regardless of their qualification, in violation of federal law,” Kristen Clarke, assistant attorney general of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, said in a statement.
Clarke added that the DOJ’s investigation found “SpaceX recruiters and high-level officials took actions that actively discouraged asylees and refugees from seeking work opportunities at the company.”
According to data SpaceX provided, the DOJ said that over a nearly four period and across more than 10,000 hires, the company “hired only one individual who was an asylee and identified as such in his application.”
That lone hire came about four months after the DOJ notified SpaceX of its investigation.
SpaceX did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment. The suit was filed in the Executive Office for Immigration Review, a division of the DOJ that adjudicates immigration cases.
The DOJ lawsuit seeks to win “fair consideration and back pay for asylees and refugees who were deterred or denied employment at SpaceX due to the alleged discrimination,” as well as civil penalties and policy changes from the company.
In 2021, the DOJ’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section alleged that SpaceX was stonewalling a subpoena related to its investigation and requested a judge order that SpaceX comply with its request for documents related to how the company hires. SpaceX had filed a petition with a DOJ administrative tribunal to dismiss the subpoena on grounds that it exceeded the scope of IER’s authority, but that petition was denied.
IER opened its probe after a man named Fabian Hutter complained that SpaceX discriminated against him in March 2020 when he was asked about his citizenship status during a job interview for a technical strategy associate position.
Hutter is not a U.S. citizen, but according to a document filed by SpaceX in response to a DOJ subpoena in 2021, he is a “lawful permanent [U.S.] resident holding dual citizenship from Austria and Canada.”
Hutter did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CNBC.
PP
The lawsuit says between 2018 and 2022, SpaceX “wrongly claimed” that export control laws limited its hiring to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents.
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/ ... rcna101634
The U.S. Department of Justice sued SpaceX on Thursday, alleging Elon Musk’s space company discriminated against refugees and asylum seekers in its hiring practices.
The lawsuit says between 2018 and 2022, SpaceX “wrongly claimed” that export control laws limited its hiring to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents.
The DOJ has been investigating SpaceX since June 2020, when the department’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section received a complaint of employment discrimination from a non-U.S. citizen.
“Our investigation found that SpaceX failed to fairly consider or hire asylees and refugees because of their citizenship status and imposed what amounted to a ban on their hire regardless of their qualification, in violation of federal law,” Kristen Clarke, assistant attorney general of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, said in a statement.
Clarke added that the DOJ’s investigation found “SpaceX recruiters and high-level officials took actions that actively discouraged asylees and refugees from seeking work opportunities at the company.”
According to data SpaceX provided, the DOJ said that over a nearly four period and across more than 10,000 hires, the company “hired only one individual who was an asylee and identified as such in his application.”
That lone hire came about four months after the DOJ notified SpaceX of its investigation.
SpaceX did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment. The suit was filed in the Executive Office for Immigration Review, a division of the DOJ that adjudicates immigration cases.
The DOJ lawsuit seeks to win “fair consideration and back pay for asylees and refugees who were deterred or denied employment at SpaceX due to the alleged discrimination,” as well as civil penalties and policy changes from the company.
In 2021, the DOJ’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section alleged that SpaceX was stonewalling a subpoena related to its investigation and requested a judge order that SpaceX comply with its request for documents related to how the company hires. SpaceX had filed a petition with a DOJ administrative tribunal to dismiss the subpoena on grounds that it exceeded the scope of IER’s authority, but that petition was denied.
IER opened its probe after a man named Fabian Hutter complained that SpaceX discriminated against him in March 2020 when he was asked about his citizenship status during a job interview for a technical strategy associate position.
Hutter is not a U.S. citizen, but according to a document filed by SpaceX in response to a DOJ subpoena in 2021, he is a “lawful permanent [U.S.] resident holding dual citizenship from Austria and Canada.”
Hutter did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CNBC.
PP
Re: SpaceX
SpaceX, NASA delay launch of Crew-7 astronauts to International Space Station
By Mike Wall published about 12 hours ago
The next available launch opportunity comes Saturday (Aug. 26) at 3:27 a.m. ET.
https://www.space.com/spacex-crew-7-ast ... SmartBrief
SpaceX's next astronaut launch has been pushed back by at least 24 hours.
The company was counting down to launch the four-person Crew-7 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) for NASA in the early hours of Friday (Aug. 25) from Florida's Kennedy Space Center. But now, that's not going to happen.
"NASA and SpaceX are standing down from the Friday, Aug. 25, launch opportunity for the agency's Crew-7 mission to the International Space Station," NASA officials said in an emailed statement Thursday night (Aug. 24). "Launch now is targeted at 3:27 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 26, for SpaceX's seventh crew rotation mission to the microgravity laboratory for NASA. More to come."
"The new launch date provides teams additional time to complete and discuss analysis. The vehicles remain healthy and crew is ready to fly," SpaceX added via X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday night, without specifying which issue(s) required further analysis.
Crew-7 will send four astronauts representing four different space agencies to the ISS for a roughly six-month stay. They'll get there aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule Endurance, which already has two trips to the orbiting lab under its belt.
The crewmembers are NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, Endurance's commander; the European Space Agency's Andreas Mogensen, from Denmark, who will serve as pilot; and Satoshi Furukawa and Konstantin Borisov, of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and the Russian space agency Roscosmos, respectively. Furukawa and Borisov will be mission specialists on Crew-7.
As its name suggests, Crew-7 will be SpaceX's seventh operational mission to the space station for NASA. But it will be the 11th human spaceflight overall for Elon Musk's company.
One of those previous missions is still at the ISS. Crew-6 reached the orbiting lab in early March and is scheduled to depart about five days after Crew-7's arrival.
PP
By Mike Wall published about 12 hours ago
The next available launch opportunity comes Saturday (Aug. 26) at 3:27 a.m. ET.
https://www.space.com/spacex-crew-7-ast ... SmartBrief
SpaceX's next astronaut launch has been pushed back by at least 24 hours.
The company was counting down to launch the four-person Crew-7 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) for NASA in the early hours of Friday (Aug. 25) from Florida's Kennedy Space Center. But now, that's not going to happen.
"NASA and SpaceX are standing down from the Friday, Aug. 25, launch opportunity for the agency's Crew-7 mission to the International Space Station," NASA officials said in an emailed statement Thursday night (Aug. 24). "Launch now is targeted at 3:27 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 26, for SpaceX's seventh crew rotation mission to the microgravity laboratory for NASA. More to come."
"The new launch date provides teams additional time to complete and discuss analysis. The vehicles remain healthy and crew is ready to fly," SpaceX added via X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday night, without specifying which issue(s) required further analysis.
Crew-7 will send four astronauts representing four different space agencies to the ISS for a roughly six-month stay. They'll get there aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule Endurance, which already has two trips to the orbiting lab under its belt.
The crewmembers are NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, Endurance's commander; the European Space Agency's Andreas Mogensen, from Denmark, who will serve as pilot; and Satoshi Furukawa and Konstantin Borisov, of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and the Russian space agency Roscosmos, respectively. Furukawa and Borisov will be mission specialists on Crew-7.
As its name suggests, Crew-7 will be SpaceX's seventh operational mission to the space station for NASA. But it will be the 11th human spaceflight overall for Elon Musk's company.
One of those previous missions is still at the ISS. Crew-6 reached the orbiting lab in early March and is scheduled to depart about five days after Crew-7's arrival.
PP
Re: SpaceX
Another flawless launch to orbit.
Re: SpaceX
SpaceX Crew-7 Dragon capsule docks at space station with international astronaut team
The four Crew-7 astronauts, of the U.S., Europe, Japan and Russia, will spend six months in orbit.
https://www.space.com/spacex-crew-7-spa ... on-docking
A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft arrived at the International Space Station Sunday (Aug. 27) to ferry a new astronaut crew to the orbiting lab to begin a half-year mission.
The Crew Dragon capsule Endurance docked at the International Space Station (ISS) at 9:16 a.m. EDT (1313 GMT), where it parked itself at a space-facing port on the outpost's U.S.-built Harmony module after flying a wide loop around the orbital outpost. Dragon and the station were soaring 261 miles above Australia at the time.
"Thank you so much," Crew-7 commander Jasmin Moghbeli of NASA radioed to SpaceX mission control after the successful docking. "I have to keep reminding myself that this is not a dream."
The docking marked the end of a nearly 30-hour journey for the capsule's four-person crew, which launched in the wee hours of Saturday from NASA's Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. But it is also the start of something bigger, a six-month mission for Moghbeli and her three crewmates.
"This is the first step of the journey, the real mission begins now," Crew-7 pilot Andreas Mogensen of the European Space Agency radioed SpaceX. "Aboard the International Space Station, we have a lot of work ahead of us that we look forward to."
The Crew-7 astronauts opened between their Dragon and the ISS at 10:58 a.m. EDT (1458 GMT) to join the seven astronauts already aboard the station. All 11 astronauts then gathered for a short welcome ceremony to begin their joint mission.
SpaceX's Crew-7 mission for NASA sent Moghbeli to the ISS with a truly international crew: pilot Mogensen of ESA; and mission specialists Konstantin Borisov of Russia's Roscosmos agency and Satoshi Furukawa of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The quartet is the first all-international crew, with members from four different agencies and countries, to fly on the same Dragon capsule.
The mission is the seventh operational commercial crew flight for NASA by SpaceX, and the company's eighth for the U.S. space agency overall (including a crewed test flight). It is SpaceX's 11th crewed mission when including three private astronaut flights in recent years. SpaceX is one of two private companies with multibillion-dollar contracts to fly astronauts to the ISS for NASA. (Boeing is the other, with its first crewed test flight delayed to early 2024.)
Eleven astronauts in different color uniforms gather on a space station, two float upside down.
Crew-7 commander Jasmin Moghbeli of NASA (with microphone) speaks during a welcome ceremony after her crew's SpaceX Dragon docked on Aug. 27, 2023. The station is now home to 11 astronauts. (Image credit: SpaceX)
The Crew-7 astronauts will spend six months on the space station and relieve the four astronauts of NASA's Crew-6 mission, who are due to return to Earth on Sept. 2.
Crew-7 is the first spaceflight for Moghbeli, a U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel who became the second Iranian-American to fly in space on the flight. It is also Borisov's first flight.
While Morgensen and Furukawa have both flown to the ISS before, Morgensen is the first European ever to pilot a SpaceX Dragon capsule. SpaceX's Endurance capsule is also a space veteran, having flown the Crew-3 and Crew-5 astronaut missions to the station for NASA.
NASA and SpaceX included a special treat for Crew-7's arrival at the ISS on Sunday.
A camera on the International Space Station captured this stunning view of the SpaceX Crew-7 Dragon capsule Endurance with the blue limb of the Earth glowing in the background, bordered by the black of SpaceX. (Image credit: NASA TV)
"We're gonna do a fly-around of the International Space Station and get some cool photos, and get that out to everybody to show what an awesome outpost we have," Joel Montalbano, NASA's space station program manager, told reporters after the launch.
That fly-around also allowed cameras on the space station to capture spectacular views of the Dragon Endurance capsule with the blue Earth in the background.
PP
The four Crew-7 astronauts, of the U.S., Europe, Japan and Russia, will spend six months in orbit.
https://www.space.com/spacex-crew-7-spa ... on-docking
A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft arrived at the International Space Station Sunday (Aug. 27) to ferry a new astronaut crew to the orbiting lab to begin a half-year mission.
The Crew Dragon capsule Endurance docked at the International Space Station (ISS) at 9:16 a.m. EDT (1313 GMT), where it parked itself at a space-facing port on the outpost's U.S.-built Harmony module after flying a wide loop around the orbital outpost. Dragon and the station were soaring 261 miles above Australia at the time.
"Thank you so much," Crew-7 commander Jasmin Moghbeli of NASA radioed to SpaceX mission control after the successful docking. "I have to keep reminding myself that this is not a dream."
The docking marked the end of a nearly 30-hour journey for the capsule's four-person crew, which launched in the wee hours of Saturday from NASA's Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. But it is also the start of something bigger, a six-month mission for Moghbeli and her three crewmates.
"This is the first step of the journey, the real mission begins now," Crew-7 pilot Andreas Mogensen of the European Space Agency radioed SpaceX. "Aboard the International Space Station, we have a lot of work ahead of us that we look forward to."
The Crew-7 astronauts opened between their Dragon and the ISS at 10:58 a.m. EDT (1458 GMT) to join the seven astronauts already aboard the station. All 11 astronauts then gathered for a short welcome ceremony to begin their joint mission.
SpaceX's Crew-7 mission for NASA sent Moghbeli to the ISS with a truly international crew: pilot Mogensen of ESA; and mission specialists Konstantin Borisov of Russia's Roscosmos agency and Satoshi Furukawa of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The quartet is the first all-international crew, with members from four different agencies and countries, to fly on the same Dragon capsule.
The mission is the seventh operational commercial crew flight for NASA by SpaceX, and the company's eighth for the U.S. space agency overall (including a crewed test flight). It is SpaceX's 11th crewed mission when including three private astronaut flights in recent years. SpaceX is one of two private companies with multibillion-dollar contracts to fly astronauts to the ISS for NASA. (Boeing is the other, with its first crewed test flight delayed to early 2024.)
Eleven astronauts in different color uniforms gather on a space station, two float upside down.
Crew-7 commander Jasmin Moghbeli of NASA (with microphone) speaks during a welcome ceremony after her crew's SpaceX Dragon docked on Aug. 27, 2023. The station is now home to 11 astronauts. (Image credit: SpaceX)
The Crew-7 astronauts will spend six months on the space station and relieve the four astronauts of NASA's Crew-6 mission, who are due to return to Earth on Sept. 2.
Crew-7 is the first spaceflight for Moghbeli, a U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel who became the second Iranian-American to fly in space on the flight. It is also Borisov's first flight.
While Morgensen and Furukawa have both flown to the ISS before, Morgensen is the first European ever to pilot a SpaceX Dragon capsule. SpaceX's Endurance capsule is also a space veteran, having flown the Crew-3 and Crew-5 astronaut missions to the station for NASA.
NASA and SpaceX included a special treat for Crew-7's arrival at the ISS on Sunday.
A camera on the International Space Station captured this stunning view of the SpaceX Crew-7 Dragon capsule Endurance with the blue limb of the Earth glowing in the background, bordered by the black of SpaceX. (Image credit: NASA TV)
"We're gonna do a fly-around of the International Space Station and get some cool photos, and get that out to everybody to show what an awesome outpost we have," Joel Montalbano, NASA's space station program manager, told reporters after the launch.
That fly-around also allowed cameras on the space station to capture spectacular views of the Dragon Endurance capsule with the blue Earth in the background.
PP
Re: SpaceX
SpaceX resupply mission will bring NASA laser communication system to ISS this year
Harnessing laser beams, ILLUMA-T is expected to transmit information at the rate of a respectable internet connection.
https://www.space.com/illumat-lcrd-rela ... SmartBrief
Later this year, SpaceX’s 29th Commercial Resupply Services mission will lift a refrigerator-sized device to the International Space Station.
This device — given the catchy name of Integrated LCRD Low Earth Orbit User Modem and Amplifier Terminal (ILLUMA-T) — will complete NASA’s first two-way, end-to-end laser communications system. Harnessing laser beams, ILLUMA-T will transmit information to another satellite at the rate of a respectable Earth-based internet connection.
Both crewed and uncrewed space missions have nearly always communicated (to Earth, from Earth, to each other) via tried and trusted radio waves. But sending information with lasers has a few advantages over radio. For one, laser equipment is lighter and less power-intensive, making it easier to fit on a craft. Plus, because laser light wavelengths are shorter than radio wavelengths, a laser communications link can transmit orders of magnitude more information at once.
Thus, NASA has tinkered with laser communications for over a decade, shooting light both between the ground and Earth orbit and between Earth and lunar space. Quietly joining NASA’s list was Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD), fitted aboard a U.S. Department of Defense satellite that launched in December 2021.
Only after ILLUMA-T’s launch will LCRD assume its full purpose. Once ILLUMA-T is in operation aboard the ISS, it will begin beaming information to LCRD via infrared laser at a rate of 1.2 gigabits per second. From there, LCRD will relay the information to two ground stations: One in Hawaii and the other in California. Mission planners chose those locations to avoid cloud cover, which lasers struggle to penetrate.
If this tech demonstration is successful, LCRD will one day serve as a relay for other orbital laser links, too. Far into the future, astronauts may even speak by laser from much, much farther away.
PP
Harnessing laser beams, ILLUMA-T is expected to transmit information at the rate of a respectable internet connection.
https://www.space.com/illumat-lcrd-rela ... SmartBrief
Later this year, SpaceX’s 29th Commercial Resupply Services mission will lift a refrigerator-sized device to the International Space Station.
This device — given the catchy name of Integrated LCRD Low Earth Orbit User Modem and Amplifier Terminal (ILLUMA-T) — will complete NASA’s first two-way, end-to-end laser communications system. Harnessing laser beams, ILLUMA-T will transmit information to another satellite at the rate of a respectable Earth-based internet connection.
Both crewed and uncrewed space missions have nearly always communicated (to Earth, from Earth, to each other) via tried and trusted radio waves. But sending information with lasers has a few advantages over radio. For one, laser equipment is lighter and less power-intensive, making it easier to fit on a craft. Plus, because laser light wavelengths are shorter than radio wavelengths, a laser communications link can transmit orders of magnitude more information at once.
Thus, NASA has tinkered with laser communications for over a decade, shooting light both between the ground and Earth orbit and between Earth and lunar space. Quietly joining NASA’s list was Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD), fitted aboard a U.S. Department of Defense satellite that launched in December 2021.
Only after ILLUMA-T’s launch will LCRD assume its full purpose. Once ILLUMA-T is in operation aboard the ISS, it will begin beaming information to LCRD via infrared laser at a rate of 1.2 gigabits per second. From there, LCRD will relay the information to two ground stations: One in Hawaii and the other in California. Mission planners chose those locations to avoid cloud cover, which lasers struggle to penetrate.
If this tech demonstration is successful, LCRD will one day serve as a relay for other orbital laser links, too. Far into the future, astronauts may even speak by laser from much, much farther away.
PP
Re: SpaceX
Delayed undocking of Crew6 from the ISS now scheduled at 11:05(Z)
Re: SpaceX
4 astronauts head home from space station after hurricane passes through Florida
https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/03/world/sp ... index.html
Four astronauts concluded their six-month stay aboard the International Space Station on Sunday and are heading for a splashdown off the coast of Florida days after Hurricane Idalia ravaged parts of the state.
The astronauts, members of the Crew-6 mission run jointly by NASA and SpaceX, boarded their Crew Dragon capsule on Sunday and departed the space station at 7:05 a.m. ET. The crew is expected to spend one day aboard the 13-foot-wide vehicle as it maneuvers through Earth’s orbit and toward its target landing site.
The Crew Dragon capsule is expected to splashdown at 12:17 a.m. ET.
NASA said that it had been monitoring the impact of Hurricane Idalia, which made landfall Wednesday morning on Florida’s Gulf Coast. The storm pummeled northern Florida before tearing through southern Georgia and into the Carolinas.
The four astronauts headed for a splashdown include NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Warren “Woody” Hoburg, as well as Sultan Alneyadi, the second astronaut from the United Arab Emirates to travel to space, and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.
The group spent six months on board the orbiting laboratory after launching to the station in March. Over the past week, the Crew-6 astronauts have worked to welcome and hand over operations to the Crew-7 team members, who arrived at the space station on Sunday.
During their stint in space, the Crew-6 astronauts were slated to oversee more than 200 science and tech projects.
“We got a lot done during our mission,” Hoburg said during a remote news conference with the astronauts on August 23. “We had two visiting SpaceX cargo vehicles — the CRS-27 and 28 missions with lots of science on board. And we, as a crew, conducted a total of three spacewalks.”
During their stay, the Crew-6 astronauts also hosted the Axiom Mission 2 crew, a group of one former NASA astronaut and three paying customers that included an American businessman and two astronauts from Saudi Arabia. That flight was part of a plan to fly tourists and other paying customers regularly to the International Space Station as NASA has sought to increase the amount of commercial activity in low-Earth orbit.
“It’s been a big adventure and a lot of fun,” Hoburg added.
The group also recognized their colleague Frank Rubio, a NASA astronaut who traveled to the space station last September aboard a Russian Soyuz vehicle alongside two cosmonauts. Rubio has spent nearly 350 days on board the space station and is soon set to break the record for the longest time a US astronaut has spent in microgravity. NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei set the current record of 355 days in 2022.
Rubio’s return trip had been slated for the spring. But the Russian Soyuz spacecraft that carried him and two Russian colleagues to the space station sprang a coolant leak late last year. Officials at Roscosmos, Russia’s space agency, later deemed the spacecraft was not safe enough to carry the astronauts back home, then sent a replacement vehicle and extended the ongoing mission by six months.
“We’ve been up here for six months,” Hoburg said. “Frank thought when he flew to space he would be here for six months, and partway through his mission he found out that it was extended to a year. His leadership up here … has been incredible.”
PP
https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/03/world/sp ... index.html
Four astronauts concluded their six-month stay aboard the International Space Station on Sunday and are heading for a splashdown off the coast of Florida days after Hurricane Idalia ravaged parts of the state.
The astronauts, members of the Crew-6 mission run jointly by NASA and SpaceX, boarded their Crew Dragon capsule on Sunday and departed the space station at 7:05 a.m. ET. The crew is expected to spend one day aboard the 13-foot-wide vehicle as it maneuvers through Earth’s orbit and toward its target landing site.
The Crew Dragon capsule is expected to splashdown at 12:17 a.m. ET.
NASA said that it had been monitoring the impact of Hurricane Idalia, which made landfall Wednesday morning on Florida’s Gulf Coast. The storm pummeled northern Florida before tearing through southern Georgia and into the Carolinas.
The four astronauts headed for a splashdown include NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Warren “Woody” Hoburg, as well as Sultan Alneyadi, the second astronaut from the United Arab Emirates to travel to space, and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.
The group spent six months on board the orbiting laboratory after launching to the station in March. Over the past week, the Crew-6 astronauts have worked to welcome and hand over operations to the Crew-7 team members, who arrived at the space station on Sunday.
During their stint in space, the Crew-6 astronauts were slated to oversee more than 200 science and tech projects.
“We got a lot done during our mission,” Hoburg said during a remote news conference with the astronauts on August 23. “We had two visiting SpaceX cargo vehicles — the CRS-27 and 28 missions with lots of science on board. And we, as a crew, conducted a total of three spacewalks.”
During their stay, the Crew-6 astronauts also hosted the Axiom Mission 2 crew, a group of one former NASA astronaut and three paying customers that included an American businessman and two astronauts from Saudi Arabia. That flight was part of a plan to fly tourists and other paying customers regularly to the International Space Station as NASA has sought to increase the amount of commercial activity in low-Earth orbit.
“It’s been a big adventure and a lot of fun,” Hoburg added.
The group also recognized their colleague Frank Rubio, a NASA astronaut who traveled to the space station last September aboard a Russian Soyuz vehicle alongside two cosmonauts. Rubio has spent nearly 350 days on board the space station and is soon set to break the record for the longest time a US astronaut has spent in microgravity. NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei set the current record of 355 days in 2022.
Rubio’s return trip had been slated for the spring. But the Russian Soyuz spacecraft that carried him and two Russian colleagues to the space station sprang a coolant leak late last year. Officials at Roscosmos, Russia’s space agency, later deemed the spacecraft was not safe enough to carry the astronauts back home, then sent a replacement vehicle and extended the ongoing mission by six months.
“We’ve been up here for six months,” Hoburg said. “Frank thought when he flew to space he would be here for six months, and partway through his mission he found out that it was extended to a year. His leadership up here … has been incredible.”
PP
Re: SpaceX
....and they are back.
Re: SpaceX
Could be just a few days away!
Re: SpaceX
FAA orders SpaceX to take 63 corrective actions on Starship and keeps rocket grounded
In order for SpaceX to resume Starship launches at its facility in Texas, the company will need to “implement all corrective actions that impact public safety,” according to the FAA.
https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science ... rcna104070
The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday said Elon Musk’s SpaceX should keep its Starship Super Heavy rocket grounded, saying the company needs to take 63 corrective actions before it is cleared for another test flight.
The FAA has now wrapped its probe into the April launch, which saw the rocket explode mid-flight.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk had claimed Tuesday, in a post on X (formerly Twitter) which he now owns, that “Starship is ready to launch, awaiting FAA license approval.”
In an e-mailed statement, the agency said a final report “cites multiple root causes of the April 20, 2023, mishap and 63 corrective actions SpaceX must take to prevent mishap reoccurrence.”
The corrective actions include: “redesigns of vehicle hardware to prevent leaks and fires, redesign of the launch pad to increase its robustness, incorporation of additional reviews in the design process, additional analysis and testing of safety critical systems and components including the Autonomous Flight Safety System, and the application of additional change control practices.”
In order for SpaceX to resume Starship launches at its facility in Boca Chica, Texas, the company will need to “implement all corrective actions that impact public safety,” as determined by the FAA, and to apply for and receive a “license modification from the FAA” that addresses all of its safety, and other environmental regulatory requirements.
SpaceX wasn’t immediately available for comment.
Looks like it won't be going anywhere for a while.
PP
In order for SpaceX to resume Starship launches at its facility in Texas, the company will need to “implement all corrective actions that impact public safety,” according to the FAA.
https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science ... rcna104070
The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday said Elon Musk’s SpaceX should keep its Starship Super Heavy rocket grounded, saying the company needs to take 63 corrective actions before it is cleared for another test flight.
The FAA has now wrapped its probe into the April launch, which saw the rocket explode mid-flight.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk had claimed Tuesday, in a post on X (formerly Twitter) which he now owns, that “Starship is ready to launch, awaiting FAA license approval.”
In an e-mailed statement, the agency said a final report “cites multiple root causes of the April 20, 2023, mishap and 63 corrective actions SpaceX must take to prevent mishap reoccurrence.”
The corrective actions include: “redesigns of vehicle hardware to prevent leaks and fires, redesign of the launch pad to increase its robustness, incorporation of additional reviews in the design process, additional analysis and testing of safety critical systems and components including the Autonomous Flight Safety System, and the application of additional change control practices.”
In order for SpaceX to resume Starship launches at its facility in Boca Chica, Texas, the company will need to “implement all corrective actions that impact public safety,” as determined by the FAA, and to apply for and receive a “license modification from the FAA” that addresses all of its safety, and other environmental regulatory requirements.
SpaceX wasn’t immediately available for comment.
Looks like it won't be going anywhere for a while.
PP