NASA | Common News Update

May262020 by adminNo Comments

NASA and SpaceX launch: Who are the astronauts?

Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley are the astronauts who will be aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule when it launches on Wednesday.Both men are experienced astronauts and engineers who joined NASA after achieving the rank of colonel as military pilots, but their lives and careers have mirrored each other's for two decades. Their historic launch, scheduled for 9.33pm on Wednesday, will be the first manned spaceflight to launch from the US since the space shuttle was retired in 2011. Behnken will be the joint operations commander for the mission, responsible for the SpaceX Crew Dragon's rendezvous with the International Space Station, as well as docking and undocking.He has previously completed two space shuttle flights and performed three spacewalks, and before joining NASA was a test...

May252020 by adminNo Comments

NASA astronauts will test new SpaceX capsule, execute spacewalks

Science

ORLANDO, Fla., May 25 (UPI) -- Astronauts heading to space from U.S. soil for the first time in nine years will test SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule and perform spacewalks on the International Space Station. The spacecraft, which will carry people for the first time, is scheduled to lift off at 4:33 p.m. EDT Wednesday and fly for 19 hours before docking at the space station. Weather remains an uncertainty that day, however, with rain and a heavy cloud cover predicted. If the launch is postponed, NASA has said the next opportunity would come Saturday. The capsule could make it to the space station quicker than in 19 hours, but astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley are to conduct several tests, including flying Crew Dragon manually with its unique, high-tech touchscreen panel. "This is a te...

May242020 by adminNo Comments

Nasa SpaceX launch: Astronauts complete rehearsal for historic mission

Science

Nasa astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken have completed their dress rehearsal for Wednesday's flight to the International Space Station.The mission, the first crewed outing from American soil in nine years, will see the pair ride to orbit in a SpaceX Falcon rocket and Crew Dragon capsule.It's a demonstration of the new "taxi" service the US space agency will be buying from the Californian firm.Lift-off on Wednesday is timed for 16:33 EDT (20:33 GMT / 21:33 BST).The weather around the Kennedy Space Center in Florida may have other ideas, however. A forecast released on Saturday by the US Air Force 45th Weather Squadron predicted just a 40% chance of favourable conditions come launch time.There is a strong possibility the Kenned...

May232020 by adminNo Comments

NASA, SpaceX review clears historic mission for launch next week

Science

ORLANDO, Fla., May 22 (UPI) -- NASA and SpaceX cleared next week's historic SpaceX Crew Dragon launch to the International Space Station after a flight readiness review Friday. It is to be the first crewed flight scheduled to launch from U.S. soil since the last shuttle lifted off in 2011. The Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft are prepared to carry NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley into space Wednesday from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA and SpaceX officials said. The officials from SpaceX and NASA met for a day and one-half at the space center Thursday and Friday to focus on the readiness of crews, capsule, rocket and the International Space Station to support the flight. Significant risk areas reviewed in the process included the function of SpaceX's re...

May222020 by adminNo Comments

Nasa SpaceX crew mission cleared to launch

Science

Key officials at the American space agency (Nasa) and private launch firm SpaceX have signed off next week's historic mission to the space station.Astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken will ride to orbit from Florida - the first time in nine years that humans have left Earth from US territory.A review panel has found no technical reason to delay the mission.SpaceX's Falcon-9 rocket with its Dragon capsule is set to lift off at 16:33 EDT (21:33 BST) on Wednesday.The decision of the Flight Readiness Review (FRR) panel opens the way for final launch preparations to proceed."We did a thorough review of all the systems and all the risks, and it was unanimous on the board that we are 'go for launch',...