May 2023 – Page 14 – NeRDs Moonbase

SpaceX won’t launch next private astronaut crew for Axiom Space in early May after all

May 5, 2023 NeRD

The second-ever private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS) won’t launch in the next few days after all. The Houston-based company Axiom Space had been targeting May 8 for the launch of its Ax-2 mission, which will send four people to the ISS aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule for a roughly 10-day stay. But Axiom, SpaceX and NASA (which, as a major ISS partner, must approve such missions) have nixed that plan, pushing the liftoff into the nebulous future. “We are no longer targeting opportunities in early May,”…

Exploring the Cosmos Together

May 4, 2023 NeRD

Miloslav Stašek, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the United States (left), Foreign Affairs Minister for the Czech Republic, Jan Lipavský (second from left), NASA Administrator Bill Nelson (second from right), and Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Jennifer R. Littlejohn (right),

Carrie Fisher to finally receive her Hollywood Walk of Fame star on ‘Star Wars’ Day

May 4, 2023 NeRD

As officially announced last week, actress Carrie Fisher, known around the world as “Star Wars’” Princess Leia Organa and later as Gen. Leia Organa, will be honored posthumously by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce on “Star Wars” Day, which occurs every year on May 4. Carrie Fisher‘s star will shine as the 2,754th on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the Motion Pictures category, and will be unveiled beside the grand El Capitan Theatre at 6840 Hollywood Boulevard. This special dedication for the late icon, who passed away on Dec.…

Celebrate Star Wars Day with 22% off these Amazon Echo Dot bundles

May 4, 2023 NeRD

May the fourth be with you! It’s Star Wars Day (May 4) and Amazon are offering 22% these awesome-looking Amazon Echo Dot accessory bundles. You can save $20 (opens in new tab) on a bundle that includes a fifth gen Amazon Echo Dot and with it, you get a choice of a Darth Vader, Mandalorian or Stormtrooper helmet stand. The fifth gen Amazon Echo Dot is Amazon’s best sounding model yet and was released only last year, while the Star Wars themed stands are limited edition. As May 4 comes…

Lego Star Wars Dark Trooper Helmet review

May 4, 2023 NeRD

Essential info: Price: $69.99 / £59.99 Model number: 75343 Number of pieces: 693 Dimensions: 7 x 4.5 x 6 inches / 18 x 12 x 15 cm Recommended age: 18+ Of all places, Dark Troopers first showed up in the Star Wars universe in a 1995 video game: Star Wars: Dark Forces. A first-person shooter released on PC and PlayStation One, it told the story of a secret Galactic Empire project to create an army of powerful battle droids – the Dark Troopers. Lego hasn’t based this Star Wars Dark…

NASA Welcomes Czech Foreign Minister for Artemis Accords Signing

May 3, 2023 NeRD

During a ceremony at NASA Headquarters in Washington Wednesday, the Czech Republic became the 24th country to sign the Artemis Accords. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson participated in the signing ceremony for the agency and Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský signed the Artemis Accords on behalf of the Czech Republic.

Hubble Captures Extraordinarily Bright Interacting Galaxies

May 3, 2023 NeRD

This new image from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope shows interacting galaxies known as AM 1214-255.

See the moment lightning struck SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket launch pad (photo)

May 2, 2023 NeRD

Stunning videos and images shared across social media captured the exact moment that lightning struck the launch pad as a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket sat awaiting liftoff on Thursday, April 27. NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida experienced severe weather and was subjected to both lightning and tornado warnings that forced the Falcon Heavy launch attempt to be scrubbed. (It would go on to launch on April 30.) Cameras located around the launchpad captured views of lightning hitting the protection mast atop the fixed tower based at Launch Complex 39A…

SpaceX should be ready to launch Starship again in 6 to 8 weeks, Elon Musk says

May 2, 2023 NeRD

SpaceX’s giant Starship vehicle could be ready for its second-ever liftoff in just a few short months, according to company founder and CEO Elon Musk. The 394-foot-tall (120 meters) Starship — the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built — launched on its debut flight on April 20, rising into the sky from Starbase, SpaceX’s site on South Texas’ Gulf Coast. The flight aimed to send Starship’s upper stage on a partial trip around Earth, with a targeted Pacific Ocean splashdown near Hawaii about 90 minutes after liftoff. The end…

Guardians of the Galaxy visit (real) ISS for 3D-printed Zune and STEAM education

May 2, 2023 NeRD

Before “The Guardians of the Galaxy” launch into movie theaters this weekend, Rocket and Cosmo are making a pitstop at the International Space Station to help engage students in the future of space-based 3D printing and to pick up a replacement for Star-Lord’s Zune music player. The crossover between sci-fi and science fact (opens in new tab) is the product of a new partnership and Space Act Agreement between RedWire, the company operating the Additive Manufacturing Facility on the space station (opens in new tab), Microsoft and NASA. Through a…