Several companies, working closely with NASA, ended 2013 with an impressive string of achievements to build on in 2014 as the American aerospace industry continues to develop and demonstrate commercial human spaceflight capabilities with the potential to support both commercial and government customers.
NASA
Space Launch System Could Enable Transformational Missions, Scientists Say
The human spaceflight community joined the space science community Jan. 13-14 at the Outer Planets Assessment Group (OPAG) meeting in Tucson, Ariz. There, scientists heard from the Space Launch System (SLS) Program about the capabilities and progress being made on the rocket, and discussed the potential benefits it also could bring to robotic exploration of […]
Florida Schools Send Experiments To ISS On Board Orbital’s Cygnus
When Orbital Sciences Corporation’s Cygnus cargo ship arrived at the International Space Station on January 12, onboard were science experiments from two schools in Florida, including a Melbourne high school designed to study the effects of micro-gravity on Lou Gehrig’s disease and a study into how liquids flow inside closed containers sponsored by Florida Tech, […]
NASA, White House Discuss ISS Life Extension At International Space Exploration Forum
Speaking at a global space exploration forum Thursday, John P. Holdren, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, explained the importance of President Obama’s decision to extend International Space Station (ISS) operations until at least 2024. Holdren discussed the ISS extension plan at the International Space Exploration Forum (ISEF) in Washington, […]
NASA Powers Up SLS Avionics For The First Time
The modern avionics system that will guide NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS), the most powerful rocket ever built, has seen the light. The flight software and avionics for SLS were integrated and powered for testing Thursday at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., as part of a milestone known as first light.
Antares Blasts Off With Cygnus On First Contracted ISS Resupply Mission
Marking the beginning of regular supply runs to the International Space Station, Orbital Sciences Corporation sucessfully launched its Cygnus cargo craft aboard Antares rocket January 9 from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility. Following a delay of several days due to record-breaking cold and a powerful solar flare, Antares blasted off on […]
Antares Set For Chilly Launch To Space Station
1/8/14 7:00 am EST UPDATE: Early this morning the Antares launch team decided to scrub today’s launch attempt due to an unusually high level of space radiation that exceeded by a considerable margin the constraints imposed on the mission to ensure the rocket’s electronic systems are not impacted by a harsh radiation environment. The solar […]
NASA’s Next Mars Lander Gets A Launch Vehicle
NASA has selected United Launch Services LLC of Centennial, Colo., to launch the Interior Exploration Using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) mission to Mars. InSight will launch in March 2016 aboard an Atlas V 401 rocket from Space Launch Complex 3E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. NASA InSight Fact Sheet InSight […]
NASA’s Morpheus Lander Returns To Flight At Kennedy Space Center
Rebuilt and better than ever, NASA’s Morpheus prototype lander successfully flew its first free-flight test at Kennedy Space Center today. Stationed on custom-built launch pad, Morpheus ignited its environmentally-friends oxygen and methane powered engine at approximately 1:30 p.m. EST for a short test hop to check out its systems before the Morpheus Team undertakes more […]
Atlas V Lofts Top-Secret Satellite, 12 CubeSats For NASA And Education
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying a payload for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) lifted off from Space Launch Complex-3 at Vandenber AFC on Dec. 5 at 11:14 p.m. PST. Designated NROL-39, the mission is in support of national defense and also carried several secondary CubeSat payloads for government and civilian customers.