Last week, Blue Origin filed a public comment to the FAA requesting that the regulator limit the number of launches of SpaceX’s Starship—the largest and most powerful rocket ever built—out of Launch Complex-39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, which currently hosts the company’s Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets.

The FAA in May released a SpaceX proposal for high-frequency Starship operations at Kennedy, including the construction of infrastructure that would allow Musk’s firm to complete 44 launches per year.

The filing is the latest wrinkle in the multiyear feud between Musk and Bezos, who have exchanged taunts and legal actions as they battle for supremacy in the commercial spaceflight industry. Both SpaceX and Blue Origin have obtained contracts from U.S. government agencies such as NASA and the Pentagon and intend to make cosmic tourism a piece of their business.

“Sue Origin,” Musk bantered on social media platform X, which he acquired in 2022.

In a subsequent post, the SpaceX boss added, “An obviously disingenuous response. Not cool of them to try (for the third time) to impede SpaceX’s progress by lawfare.”

The public comment filed by Blue Origin has no legal bearing, but the FAA will consider it as it determines what restrictions to place on Starship at Kennedy.

SpaceX is seeking a commercial launch vehicle operator license for Starship operations at Launch Complex 39-A, which will require the preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS). The EIS describes the potential effects of those operations on the surrounding environment and was required for SpaceX to begin the Starship orbital test flight program, for example. SpaceX will prepare the assessment itself under FAA supervision.

During Starship’s maiden voyage, which ended in a ball of flames a few minutes into the mission, the impact from the launch caused unexpected damage as far as 6 miles away from the Starbase launchpad in Boca Chica, Texas. The force of Starship broke windows, sent ashy debris into the sky, and brought an FAA investigation into SpaceX’s environmental mitigations, grounding the rocket for months. Five environmental groups sued the FAA over its handling of the mission.

Since then, SpaceX has made several improvements to Starbase to contain Starship’s debris field, and subsequent missions have resulted in little fanfare. However, it appears Blue Origin will use the incident as leverage in its plea to the FAA.

“At Starbase, Starship and Super Heavy test missions have been subject to environmental scrutiny due to their impact on the local environment and community,” the public comment reads, citing the aforementioned lawsuit against the regulator as evidence.

Blue Origin too launches operations out of Kennedy. The company leases Space Launch Complex-36 and occupies several hangars, as well as a manufacturing site, at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS), which it says are close to the area SpaceX wants to use.

“Blue Origin employs over 2,700 full-time employees in [Florida’s] Brevard County, including 449 employees at CCSFS that are directly impacted by local launch activities,” the filing reads. “Blue Origin has invested more than $1 billion in capital expenditures to develop [Launch Complex-36] as the first privately built heavy-lift launch complex in the world.”

The company said it worries about the safety of property and personnel during a Starship launch anomaly, such as an explosion, fire, debris, or loud noise. It also argued that Starship operations could impede Blue Origin’s access to shared infrastructure and “limited airspace and maritime resources.”

Starship and the Super Heavy booster hold about 5,200 metric tons of liquid methane for propulsion—the force of which, Blue Origin claims, would impede company and government activities at Kennedy due to the anticipated requirement of a safety margin around the site.

The firm urged the FAA to place a cap on the number of Starship launches, specify and limit launch times, and invest in infrastructure that would make Kennedy and CCSFS safer and more accessible for other launch providers.

It also suggested that SpaceX and the government be required to compensate Blue Origin or other companies whose commercial activities are impacted by Starship, as well as mandatory penalties for SpaceX should it violate the EIS or its license.

Given Bezos’ history with Musk, it’s difficult to say whether genuine concern, a desire to hamper the competition, or both prompted the comment.

Blue Origin is developing an alternative to Starship, New Glenn, but the rocket has faced delays and has yet to fly. New Glenn has collected a handful of customers, including Amazon’s Project Kuiper and NASA, which intends to launch it to Mars on its maiden voyage later this year.

NASA was at the center of the most publicized dispute between Blue Origin and SpaceX. After the space agency tapped SpaceX as the sole provider of a human landing system (HLS) for Artemis missions to the moon, Bezos in 2021 took NASA to court, arguing that it had promised two contracts.

The company would ultimately lose that battle. But the space agency in 2023 announced Blue Origin as the second Artemis HLS provider. Both companies are now working with NASA to develop a revamped plan for the Mars Sample Return Program, each receiving a $1.5 million contract.

The firms are also competing in the military sphere. In 2022, Blue Origin lost out on a pair of Pentagon contracts at the expense of SpaceX and United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin. But earlier this month, it secured its own agreement with the U.S. Space Force for 30 military launches, worth up to $5.6 billion.

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The agency says it plans to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) on the potential effects of awarding a commercial launch vehicle operator license for Starship operations at Kennedy’s Launch Complex-39A. To date, all Starship test flights have launched from SpaceX’s Starbase launchpad in Boca Chica, Texas, which serves as its primary research, development, and flight test facility for the gargantuan rocket.

SpaceX will need to obtain a vehicle operator license before launching Starship from Kennedy, an action that falls under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the FAA says. As such, it and NASA determined an EIS to be the appropriate level of scrutiny. 

SpaceX will prepare the assessment itself under FAA supervision, at NASA’s request. Obtaining the EIS would not guarantee the issuance of a vehicle operator license, but it is a required step under NEPA.

SpaceX’s proposal calls for the construction of launch, landing, and other infrastructure at Launch Complex-39A that would support as many as 44 launches per year using Starship and the company’s Super Heavy booster. The site hosts launches of its Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets.

The new infrastructure would allow Starship—which is designed to be reusable—to land back on the launchpad or a droneship, a sea-borne landing platform. The proposal also calls for expendable rocket and booster landings in the Atlantic Ocean.

The FAA will hold one virtual and three in-person public scoping meetings, inviting relevant agencies and organizations, local Native American tribes, and members of the public to submit comments on the potential environmental impacts of the proposal.

The submission period for public comments opened Friday with the publication in the Federal Register of an FAA notice of intent to prepare the EIS. Stakeholders can attend in-person scoping meetings on June 12 and 13, followed by a virtual meeting on June 17. More information is available on the FAA website.

Starship so far has flown three uncrewed orbital test flights, each more successful than the last. However, the first of those flights, which launched in April 2023, caused a litany of unintended environmental effects, shattering windows and sending plumes of ashy particulate as far as 6 miles away from Starbase.

The debris field created by the launch had a far wider radius than anticipated, due in part to SpaceX’s decision to forgo the installation of a water-cooled steel plate beneath the launchpad. A water deluge system was installed for Starship’s second test flight, which greatly improved containment of the debris field.

Following Starship’s first test flight, a coalition of environmental groups also sued the FAA over its handling of the launch. The groups accuse the agency of allowing SpaceX to take the reins on evaluating the rocket’s environmental impact.

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SpaceX on Saturday unveiled its first-generation extravehicular activity (EVA) spacesuit, which will be donned by astronauts aboard the Polaris Dawn mission, scheduled for no earlier than this summer. Polaris Dawn—a five-day, four-person orbital mission to research human health both in space and on Earth—is the first of three potential human spaceflights under the Polaris Program.

SpaceX and entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, who founded the program in February 2022, held a discussion accompanying the announcement on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, which SpaceX CEO Elon Musk acquired in October..

While the mission has no firm launch date, SpaceX on Saturday confirmed that Polaris Dawn would be the next crewed mission the company will fly.

What Is Polaris?

The Polaris Program is the brainchild of Isaacman, the billionaire CEO of integrated payments provider Shift4 who is also a pilot and astronaut, with more than 7,000 flight hours and multiple experimental and ex-military aircraft ratings. Isaacman in 2012 founded Draken International, a private air force that trains pilots for the U.S. Armed Forces.

Isaacman purchased flights from SpaceX in February 2022 to launch the program and is funding Polaris Dawn himself.

Named after the constellation of three stars more commonly known as the North Star, or Polaris, the program comprises three potential missions, one for each star. The effort aims to rapidly advance human spaceflight capabilities with an eye toward future missions to the moon, Mars, and beyond. Simultaneously, it will raise funds and advance research into issues facing humanity on Earth, such as cancer.

Polaris Dawn, the first of the three missions, was announced in 2022 and expected to fly later that year. It has since been delayed multiple times, most recently from February to mid-2024, due in part to SpaceX’s development of the specially designed EVA spacesuits.

Polaris Dawn and a second mission without a timeline, simply called Mission II, will be flown using SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule. Both vehicles are already in use by NASA and a handful of commercial customers, such as Axiom Space.

Falcon 9, a reusable two-stage rocket, is the world’s first orbital class reusable rocket and has been lauded for driving down launch costs in flying 330 times. Crew Dragon, which is capable of carrying up to seven passengers, in 2020 restored NASA’s ability to ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS) with the first Commercial Crew rotation mission. It has flown a total of 46 missions, visiting the ISS on 42.

Polaris is expected to culminate in a third mission comprising the first crewed flight of SpaceX’s Starship, the largest and most powerful rocket ever built. Like Falcon 9, the spacecraft is designed to be fully reusable and has so far attempted three orbital test flights, each more successful than the last.

Isaacman has been outspoken about Polaris’ aim to make human spaceflight accessible to all. The new SpaceX suits, for example, are designed to fit a range of body types and accommodate all spacewalkers.

At the same time, the billionaire aviator is focused on solving problems on Earth. Since its founding, Polaris has worked closely with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and helped fund research into childhood cancer.

Civilians in Space

Polaris Dawn is notable for its four-person crew, which includes the first SpaceX employees expected to actually reach space.

Mission specialist Sarah Gillis oversees the company’s astronaut training program, while mission specialist and medical officer Anna Menon manages crew operations. Gillis, trained to be a classical violinist, joined SpaceX in 2015, while Menon is a seven-year NASA veteran. But both have been part of past Crew Dragon flights. Menon in particular was influential in developing Dragon’s crew and emergency response capabilities.

Joining the SpaceX employees will be pilot Scott Poteet, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel with more than 3,200 flying hours in the F-16, A-4, T-38, T-37, T-3, and Alpha Jet.

Isaacman himself will serve as Polaris Dawn mission commander, a role he also filled for  SpaceX’s 2021 Inspiration4 mission: the first all-civilian mission to space. Poteet, who previously served in roles at Isaacson’s companies Shift4 and Draken, was mission director for that flight, which raised $250 million for St. Jude.

To prepare for Polaris Dawn, crewmembers lived inside the decompression chamber at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston for two days, summited the 16,800-foot peak of Illinizas Norte volcano in Ecuador, and experienced 9 Gs of force while training on three different kinds of fighter jets.

The mission will launch from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew will spend up to five days in orbit, performing about 40 experiments and testing of hardware and software. Like Inspiration4, it is a charitable effort, with the goal of raising additional funds for St. Jude.

“Fifty or 100 years from now, people are going to be jumping in their rockets, and you’re going to have families bouncing around on the moon with their kids at a lunar base,” said Isaacman in an article on the St. Jude website. “If we can accomplish all of that, we sure as heck better tackle childhood cancer along the way.”

Polaris Dawn aims to fly higher than any SpaceX Dragon mission to date, a height that hasn’t been reached since the end of the Apollo program half a century ago.

The crew will also attempt to reach the highest Earth orbit ever flown. Isaacman during the discussion on X said the mission will target an apogee of 1,400 kilometers, or about 870 miles, more than double the orbital height reached by Apollo 17. That orbit would place the crew just inside the Van Allen radiation belt, where it hopes to research effects of spaceflight and space radiation on human health.

“The benefit of being at this high altitude is that we can better understand the impacts of that environment…on both the human body…as well as on the spacecraft,” said Menon during the discussion on X.

Suit Up

The Dragon capsule will complete seven elliptical orbits until reaching its apogee before descending to a circular orbit at about 700 kilometers (435 miles). At that altitude, crewmembers will attempt the first commercial spacewalk. It would also be the first time four astronauts have been exposed to the vacuum of space at the same time, according to SpaceX.

The spacewalk will mark the first use of SpaceX’s EVA spacesuit in low-Earth orbit, a key milestone that is expected to inform future iterations of the design for long-duration missions.

It’s an evolution of SpaceX’s Intravehicular Activity (IVA) suit that has been modified to enable both intra and extravehicular use. In other words, personnel won’t need to change clothes when moving from the confines of the spacecraft to the harsh environment of space.

The EVA suit adds greater mobility, seals and pressure valves, a helmet camera, and textile-based thermal material, which regulates suit temperature and can be controlled using a dial. Boots were constructed from the same thermal material used to shield Falcon and Dragon from exposure.

“There was a lot of work on both the materials of the suit, developing a whole new layer that we needed to add for thermal management as well as looking at the thermal condition for the crewmembers themselves, and making sure that they were at a comfortable temperature inside the suit,” said Chris Drake, manager of SpaceX’s spacesuit team, on Saturday.

The 3D-printed helmet incorporates a new visor designed to reduce glare as well as a state-of-the-art, heads-up display (HUD). The HUD is active only during spacewalks and displays spacesuit pressure, temperature, and humidity, as well as a mission clock to track how long the astronauts are exposed to the vacuum of space.

Already, SpaceX is developing a second-generation EVA suit for missions to the moon and Mars. It estimates that millions of suits will be required to one day build a lunar base or Martian city.

“This is important because we are going to get to the moon and Mars one day, and we’re going to have to get out of our vehicles and out of the safety of the habitat to explore and build and repair things,” Isaacman said during the discussion on X.

The Dragon capsule has also required modifications to prepare for the landmark spacewalk. SpaceX on Saturday said a structure called “Skywalker” has been attached near the capsule’s hatch to act as a mobility aid. Handrails and foot rails have been installed inside the spacecraft, with a ladder interface added to the hatch opening.

SpaceX also installed a cabin pressurization system that allows the interior of the capsule to withstand the vacuum of space as air is sucked out during the spacewalk. A repressurization system will stabilize it once the astronauts return.

Why It Matters

In addition to achieving the first commercial spacewalk and the highest orbital altitude ever recorded, Polaris Dawn hopes to test Starlink laser-based communications in space for the first time. Data from the test could help develop space communications for future missions.

In addition, Polaris and SpaceX selected 38 scientific experiments from 23 partner institutions—including NASA, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University—intended to advance the understanding of human health in space and on Earth.

The crew will use ultrasound to study decompression sickness, for example, and will research spaceflight associated neuro-ocular syndrome: a disease unique to humans who fly in space that can have severe debilitating effects. Upon landing, astronauts will undergo tests to study anemia—an unavoidable effect of traveling to space—and other conditions that might impact humans on Earth.

The scientific aims of the Polaris Program differ from the commercial spaceflight ventures offered by companies such as Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic, which could be classified more aptly as space tourism operations.

Tickets for those companies’ orbital and suborbital offerings, some of which involve research, can range from the hundreds of thousands of dollars to the millions. Isaacman and SpaceX’s Inspiration4, meanwhile, raised a quarter of a billion dollars for cancer research.

Isaacman has been particularly outspoken when it comes to accessibility in spaceflight. And by taking on much of the risk himself, the billionaire businessman has lessened the pressure on SpaceX. Isaacman’s funding of Polaris Dawn has allowed the company to focus on developing the spacesuits and other technology necessary to ensure the mission runs smoothly.

Polaris Dawn also represents a critical juncture for SpaceX’s Starship, the lynchpin of the company’s planned human spaceflight offerings. The largest rocket ever built is not quite ready to fly humans. But when it is, the third Polaris mission is expected to be its maiden voyage.

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The post What Is Polaris Dawn? Breaking Down the Upcoming SpaceX Mission appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The IM-1 mission, which is poised to be the first U.S. lunar landing in more than 50 years, is headed to the South Pole region of the moon as part of NASA’s commercial lunar payload services (CLPS) initiative and Artemis campaign. 

Less than two hours before its scheduled launch, however, a private rocket company announced it would be pushed back. “Standing down from tonight’s attempt due to off-nominal methane temperatures prior to stepping into methane load,” SpaceX said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The new launch window of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket liftoff is now rescheduled for 1:05 a.m. EST Thursday at Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the company said. According to SpaceX, teams will begin loading the lunar lander with cryogenic methane and oxygen on the launch pad ahead of stepping into propellant load for Falcon 9 approximately two and a half hours before liftoff.

The mission is set to prepare NASA for Artemis, a series of launches that will attempt to return U.S. astronauts to the moon as soon as 2025. On board Intuitive Machine’s Nova-C robotic lander, called “Odysseus,” are six NASA payloads that will conduct research to better understand the lunar environment. 

“The payloads will collect data on how the plume of engine gases interacts with the moon’s surface and kicks up lunar dust, investigate radio astronomy and space weather interactions with the lunar surface, test precision landing technologies, and measure the quantity of liquid propellant in Nova-C propellant tanks in the zero gravity of space,” NASA said. “The Nova-C lander will also carry a retroreflector array that will contribute to a network of location markers on the moon that will be used as a position marker for decades to come.”

• READ MORE: First U.S. Moonshot in Decades Will Fall Short—What It Means

The launch of IM-1 comes little more than a month after the failed attempt of Astrobotic’s Peregrine Mission One to become the first U.S. CLPS spacecraft to reach the moon’s surface. Hours after its launch on January 8, a propulsion anomaly derailed the mission. Ten days after launch, the Peregrine spacecraft burned up during a controlled reentry over the South Pacific. On board Peregrine were more than 20 payloads, including NASA instruments meant to study the lunar surface. 

• READ MORE: ‘Propulsion Anomaly’ Reported After Launch of First U.S. Commercial Lunar Lander

NASA will air live coverage of the IM-1 mission launch Thursday, beginning its broadcast at 12:20 a.m. EST. It may be viewed on a variety of platforms, including NASA+, NASA TV, and the agency’s website. SpaceX will also provide a live webcast of the mission beginning about 45 minutes before liftoff on X @SpaceX.

The Nova-C lander is expected to land on the moon February 22. 

The post SpaceX Pushes Launch of Odysseus Moon Lander to Thursday appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) on board SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft lifted off via a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 4:49 p.m. EST from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. 

Falcon 9 launches Ax-3, Dragon’s 12th human spaceflight mission pic.twitter.com/VaswQz7npo

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) January 18, 2024

On board the spacecraft is the first all-European commercial astronaut crew, which is scheduled to spend about two weeks aboard ISS conducting microgravity research, educational outreach, and commercial activities, according to NASA.

“Together with our commercial partners, NASA is supporting a growing commercial space economy and the future of space technology,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement. “During their time aboard the International Space Station, the Ax-3 astronauts will carry out more than 30 scientific experiments that will help advance research in low-Earth orbit.”

• READ MORE: First U.S. Moonshot in Decades Will Fall Short—What It Means

In a quick check-in shortly after liftoff, “Ax-3 commander Michael López-Alegría confirmed the crew’s well-being and safety,” according to Axiom Space.

The Dragon spacecraft is expected to autonomously dock with the forward port of the ISS Harmony module on Saturday around 4:19 a.m. EST.

“Hatches between Dragon and the station are expected to open after 6 a.m., allowing the Axiom crew to enter the complex for a welcoming ceremony and start their stay aboard the orbiting laboratory,” NASA said.

NASA is providing live coverage of the docking event starting at 2:30 a.m. EST. It may be viewed here.

The Ax-3 astronauts are scheduled to leave the ISS on February 3 for their return to Earth and will splash down off the coast of Florida.

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The massive turboprop cargo aircraft was designed in the 1960s to accommodate oversized loads, such as body sections of the Saturn V rocket.

• READ MORE: Inside NASA’s Super Guppy

On Monday, the behemoth landed at Huntsville Regional Airport (KUTS). “This unique visitor is always a sight to see!” the airport said on X, formerly Twitter. 

Welcome (back) to HSV, Super Guppy! This unique visitor is always a sight to see! #FlyHSV #SuperGuppy pic.twitter.com/9SBAd76COs

— Huntsville International Airport (@FlyHSV) November 7, 2023

On board, according to NASA, was the heat shield that protected the Orion crew module during last year’s Artemis I test flight. The shield was then taken to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama.

• READ MORE: NASA Artemis II’s Orion Crew, Service Modules Joined

“Technicians at Marshall will use the center’s specialized milling tool to remove the heat shield’s outer layer of ablative material, a protective coating called Avcoat, as part of routine postflight analysis,” NASA said in a release.

Watch the Super Guppy Land

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The 10-day Artemis II mission is expected to begin no earlier than November 2024 and will fly NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen on the first crewed mission with the agency’s goal of establishing a long-term presence on the moon.

• READ MORE: NASA Unveils 4-Member Artemis II Crew

Prior to joining, the modules successfully completed hardware installation and testing in recent months, NASA said.

“Now that the crew and service modules are integrated, the team will power up the combined crew and service module for the first time,” NASA said. “After power-on tests are complete, Orion will begin altitude chamber testing, which will put the spacecraft through conditions as close as possible to the environment it will experience in the vacuum of deep space.”

The crew completed the first part of  mission training in August, requiring it to master familiarity with Orion’s interior. 

• READ MORE: Booster Delivery Marks NASA Artemis II Moon Mission Milestone

“The crew is making incredible progress getting ready for their flight as the first people to fly inside NASA’s newest spacecraft built for deep space,” Jacki Mahaffey, chief training officer for Artemis II at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, said in a statement. “Their training is preparing them to do everything from planned mission tasks and daily operations to how to recognize and deal with unexpected situations.”

The post NASA Artemis II’s Orion Crew, Service Modules Joined appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Northrop Grumman on Tuesday delivered 10 booster motor segments, which the space agency will use for its Artemis II mission, to Kennedy Space Center in Florida from its manufacturing plant in Utah. The delivery should keep NASA on track to launch the first crewed Artemis mission, which is expected to send four astronauts on a jaunt around the moon in November 2024—so long as prelaunch activities continue to go as planned.

The 10 segments built by Northrop will form twin solid rocket boosters designed to power NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) super-heavy lift rocket. In preparation for Artemis II, the boosters will be the first element of the SLS to be stacked on the mobile launch platform.

NASA says the SLS “is the only rocket that can send [NASA’s Orion deep exploration spacecraft], astronauts, and supplies to the moon in a single mission.” It has a greater payload mass, volume, and departure energy than any other single rocket and made its debut on the successful Artemis I mission, the program’s first, uncrewed flight, last November.

According to Northrop, the twin boosters will provide some 7.2 million pounds of thrust at launch—more than three-quarters of the total power generated by the SLS. They’ll help Orion reach 24,500 mph on its way to the moon. Last week, the agency and its contractor completed a subscale booster thrust test to validate the technology.

“The arrival of the SLS solid rocket booster motor segments is an important turning point as NASA and our Artemis partners begin readying for stacking and launch preparations for Artemis II,” said Amit Kshatriya, deputy associate administrator for the Moon to Mars program office at NASA headquarters. “Fully stacked, these boosters for NASA’s SLS rocket are the largest, most powerful ever built for spaceflight and will help send the first astronauts around the moon [for the first time] in more than 50 years.”

The 10 booster motor segments that will form the @NASA_SLS rocket’s twin, five-segment solid rocket boosters for the @NASAArtemis II mission, arrived at @NASAKennedy on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. Due to their weight, the booster motor segments traveled by rail across eight states… pic.twitter.com/LkH5hqBM7C

— NASA's Exploration Ground Systems (@NASAGroundSys) September 26, 2023

Now, teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) program are processing each segment before integrating them at Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building. They’ll then inspect the motor, forward, and aft assemblies of the twin boosters, rotate them to a vertical position, and move the segments one at a time for stacking, forming a pair of 17-story-tall boosters.

The @NASAArtemis II aft skirts for the @NASA_SLS rocket’s twin solid rocket boosters were transported from the Booster Fabrication Facility to the Rotation Processing and Surge Facility (RPSF) at @NASAKennedy in Florida on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023.

The aft skirts were refurbished… pic.twitter.com/noiKfqglCm

— NASA's Exploration Ground Systems (@NASAGroundSys) September 27, 2023

After the boosters are stacked, engineers will then integrate the SLS’s 212-foot core stage, for which Boeing is the lead contractor. All four RS-25 engines for the core were structurally joined this week at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. The engines, built by California-based Aerojet Rocketdyne, will provide an additional 2 million pounds of thrust at launch

Combined, the boosters and engines will deliver 8.8 million pounds of thrust. That number mirrors SLS data from Artemis I, which sent an uncrewed Orion capsule into orbit 40,000 miles beyond the moon. Figures collected from the 1.4 million-mile journey showed the 312-foot-tall rocket “met or exceeded all performance expectations.”

As NASA works toward stacking the SLS, EGS teams are simultaneously conducting ground systems tests, the first of which took place last week.

Artemis II: On Schedule?

Northrop’s delivery of the booster motor segments, as well as the integration of the RS-25 engines to the core stage, keeps NASA in line with a rough timeline shared with Ars Technica last month by Jeremy Parsons, deputy manager of the EGS program.

By Parsons’ estimate, the SLS core stage will ship to Kennedy from NASA’s New Orleans assembly plant next month. Stacking of the twin boosters is expected to begin in February, followed by core stage stacking in April. Orion will also be fueled that month and is expected to be stacked sometime in mid-2024. But the timeline gets a bit fuzzy by then, and Ars Technica reported Artemis II’s launch date “almost certainly will slip two or three years.”

The goal of Artemis II is to test Orion and SLS systems before Artemis III returns U.S. and Canadian astronauts to the moon. Going by Parsons’ timeline, the mission is expected to launch nearly two years after Artemis I, which damaged the mobile launch pad more severely than anticipated.

However, the massive structure returned to Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy in August, and excitement is starting to build for the marquee mission.

Human for Scale: Look closely and you may be able to spot one of our team members standing near the railing of '0' deck of the towering mobile launcher, which will launch @NASAArtemis II around the Moon next year. The launcher, which stands 380-feet-tall above ground, is… pic.twitter.com/9yAOTJMYr4

— NASA's Exploration Ground Systems (@NASAGroundSys) September 26, 2023

Artemis II crewmembers—who are slated to also fly on Artemis III—were revealed in April, representing the first woman and person of color to land on the moon. Mission specialist Christian Koch and Artemis II pilot Victor Glover, who is Black, will gain those respective distinctions. They’ll be joined by NASA astronaut and Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman, as well as mission specialist Jeremy Hanson of the Canadian Space Agency.

Their mission will last around 10 days, sending the four explorers around the moon and paving the way for the first crewed lunar landing since the Apollo program. Northrop has also completed motor segments for Artemis III and is building more for future missions.

The landmark journey is planned for 2025. But a delay to its precursor or snags in the delivery of key hardware could push it back. Jim Free, associate administrator for NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate (ESDMD), remarked in June that delays to the lunar lander variant of SpaceX’s Starship will “probably” cause the timeline to slip to 2026. SpaceX is embroiled in an FAA mishap investigation that has set back Starship’s orbital test flight program.

Beyond Artemis III, NASA hopes to launch crewed lunar missions once per year with an initial focus on establishing “surface capabilities” for potential long-term human settlements on the rocky satellite. Artemis missions will also support the buildout of Gateway, a planned orbital outpost around the moon and possible staging point for future deep space exploration.

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As the clock ticked from T-6 hours, journalists and members of the public swarmed the Florida coast to see NASA’s most powerful rocket yet—the Space Launch System (SLS).

Through the eye of my camera, I could see the freezing cold liquid oxygen venting from the rocket. Fueling it had proven troublesome in previous attempts. Every update from Launch Control silenced the journalists huddled in the bullpen, myself included.

• READ MORE: Liftoff: NASA’s Artemis I Launches Into Space, History

NASA astronaut Stanley Love shared his connection to the Artemis program with FLYING.

“I’ve been working on Artemis since 2004, with some brief breaks, including one to go fly in space,” Love said. “So basically, this is my 18-year-old baby that we’re getting ready to send off to college.”

There are so many things that must go right for a rocket launch, and one small problem can determine a go or no-go on nights such as this one. Around the press site, conversations between onlookers echoed the same phrase.

“Don’t jinx it.”

Unfortunately, no launch day is complete without its fair share of suspense.

The night grew more worrisome with each update—about three hours before launch, a liquid hydrogen leak was detected on a valve towards the bottom of the mobile launcher. Artemis Mission Control then deployed three members of Red Crew, an emergency repair team trained for moments like this.

What was supposed to be a simple 15-minute repair turned into an hour-long ordeal. During the fix, Artemis Mission Control received word that a radar sight lost connection with the rocket, putting the entire launch in jeopardy. Luckily, team members identified a faulty ethernet switch as the cause of the connection loss, and the device was replaced within an hour.

By that time, Red Crew left the launch complex, having completed their task to secure the liquid hydrogen leak, saving the launch.

“All I can say is that we were very excited,” said Trent Annis, one of the three deployed members of Red Crew. “We showed up today.”

On Wednesday, November 16, at 1:41 a.m. EST, Artemis I took off and began its journey to the moon with a fanfare of applause and sonic booms. The plume of fire spouting from underneath the rocket lit up the night sky like the sun.

My first launch, definitely won't be the last #GoArtemis pic.twitter.com/3SMxJjwmHw

— Jeremy Kariuki (@TheAfrikid) November 16, 2022

Any other launch may not garner the same attention as Artemis, and that’s for a good reason. For the first time in a generation, NASA is sending a human-rated spacecraft to the moon and back as a practice run for humanity’s crewed exploration of the solar system.

The Artemis missions are poised to attain a grand achievement of diversity—sending the first woman and person of color to step foot on the moon, resuming humanity’s presence on the celestial body for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972.

In a previous interview with FLYING, NASA astronaut Capt. Victor Glover shared his thoughts on potentially becoming the first person of color to set foot on the lunar surface.

“I actually try hard not to think about that. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a dream of mine to walk on and work on the surface of the moon,” Glover said. “Right now, what I’m focused on is my job, which is working on the hardware, to develop the Human Landing System, to support events like this, and then, to make sure that I’m healthy and technically ready in case my boss does want to assign me to one of those missions. But, if that day does come—man, it would be truly amazing.”

• READ MORE: ‘World’s Most Powerful Rocket’ Rolls Out Toward Launch Pad

The post Artemis I, the Rocket That Could appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Precisely at 1:47 a.m., the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket engines ignited and powered the 322-foot vehicle off Launch Pad 39B. No issues were encountered despite some pre-launch concerns regarding a fueling leak that temporarily put the launch on hold. Crews remedied the issue and the countdown resumed as planned. Unlike previous launch attempts in recent months, weather conditions remained clear.

We are going.

For the first time, the @NASA_SLS rocket and @NASA_Orion fly together. #Artemis I begins a new chapter in human lunar exploration. pic.twitter.com/vmC64Qgft9

— NASA (@NASA) November 16, 2022

Hurricane Nicole, which brought a powerful storm surge and high winds to Florida last week, did not cause significant damage to the vehicle, according to NASA teams. A piece of caulking near the Orion crew capsule did peel off during the storm, The Associated Press reported. During a press briefing Monday afternoon, NASA officials reiterated that this 10-foot section near a seam on the spacecraft was not something that necessitated a delay or a scrubbed launch.

• READ MORE: NASA’s Space Launch System Explained

During launch preparations, the NASA team discussed the replacement of a component tied to an electrical connector on the hydrogen tail service mast umbilical ground-side plate. Engineers opted to swap the piece after noticing inconsistent data reported via that connector— even after replacing a cable earlier in the week. When asked if this issue could affect the launch, managers expressed confidence that it would not, because the rocket has several redundant data sources to convey this information.

My first launch, definitely won't be the last #GoArtemis pic.twitter.com/3SMxJjwmHw

— Jeremy Kariuki (@TheAfrikid) November 16, 2022

Orion’s Lunar Itinerary

During the 25-day mission now underway, Orion will travel 1.3 million miles to (and around) the moon before returning home on December 11. Penetrating the Earth’s atmosphere at 24,500 mph, or Mach 32, the planned reentry will heat the spacecraft to temperatures never-before endured by human-rated spacecraft. 

The unmanned ship will splash down off the coast of Baja, California. While no humans are onboard, two high-tech mannequins will have the distinction of being the first passengers for this lunar ride.   

Orion’s trip to the moon is powered by its Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage, or ICPS. Once there, the spacecraft has a lot on its lunar “to-do” list. During its moon orbit phase, the craft will fly 62 miles above the surface for six days before heading back to Earth.

This launch comprises just part of NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to land the first woman and the first person of color on the moon by 2025. Establishing a long-term presence on the moon is a stepping stone to eventually sending astronauts to Mars. For now, NASA is enjoying a well-deserved pat on the back. 

“What an incredible sight to see NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft launch together for the first time,” said NASA administrator Bill Nelson. “This uncrewed flight test will push Orion to the limits in the rigors of deep space, helping us prepare for human exploration on the moon and, ultimately, Mars.”

The post Liftoff: NASA’s Artemis I Launches Into Space, History appeared first on FLYING Magazine.