Category: Space Stations

Space stations in orbit or planned

How fast will the annular solar eclipse on Oct. 2 travel?

NeRD

On Oct. 2, an annular solar eclipse will be visible from the Southern Hemisphere. During this event, the moon doesn’t completely cover the sun from our perspective on Earth, so it leaves a “ring of fire” around the moon. The moon’s shadow will appear to travel at vastly different speeds depending on your location. In some places, it will move faster than 6 million mph (10 million km/h); in others, it will travel as slow as 1,278 mph (2,057 km/h), or about the speed of a fighter jet. During the…

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Lucky ticket to space: How a Tennessee cardiologist made it to the final frontier

NeRD

How can someone fly to space without becoming an astronaut, having millions of dollars or being a celebrity? On Aug. 29, Blue Origin successfully completed its eighth human spaceflight and the 26th mission of its New Shepard suborbital program overall. Onboard this flight was Eiman Jahangir, a Tennessee cardiologist who earned his seat not just by chance, but through unwavering dedication to his dream. Space.com spoke with Jahangir both before and after his spaceflight, capturing the excitement of the day at the Blue Origin launch site to tell the full…

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SpaceX’s Crew-9 astronaut mission arrives at the ISS (video)

NeRD

SpaceX’s two-person Crew-9 mission arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) today (Sept. 29) after a one-day orbital chase. Crew-9’s Crew Dragon capsule, named Freedom, docked with the ISS today at 5:30 p.m. EDT (2130 GMT).  The hatches between the two spacecraft are expected to open around 7:15 p.m. EDT (2315 GMT), and ISS astronauts will deliver welcoming remarks about 25 minutes later. You can watch those milestones live via NASA and here at Space.com, if the agency makes its stream available. SpaceX’s Crew-9 astronaut mission approaches the International Space…

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‘Aurora’ the baby falcon plush toy takes flight again as SpaceX Crew-9 zero-g indicator

NeRD

A tradition borrowed from the Russian space program has now physically crossed over to an American spacecraft for the first time. The “zero-g [gravity] indicator” that launched aboard SpaceX‘s Crew-9 mission to the International Space Station on Saturday (Sept. 28), previously flew on two Russian Soyuz capsules, including one that survived an emergency in-flight abort. “I’ve got a little Falcon here,” said NASA astronaut and Crew-9 commander Nick Hague, as he revealed the small plush baby falcon in the crew cabin of SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft “Freedom.” Hague and mission specialist…

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SpaceX launches Crew-9 astronauts from upgraded Florida pad to return Boeing Starliner crew home

NeRD

A unique SpaceX mission is underway. A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex-40 (SLC-40) at Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station today (Sept. 28) at 1:17 p.m. EDT (1717 GMT), kicking off the Crew-9 astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS) for NASA.  “That was a sweet ride,” NASA astronaut Nick Hague, Crew-9’s commander, radioed SpaceX’s launch control after reaching orbit with crewmate Alexandr Gorbunov of Russia. The astronauts are will arrive at the ISS on Sunday, Sept. 29. You can follow the mission with our…

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This Week In Space podcast: Episode 130 —Dogs on Mars, Snakes on the Moon

NeRD

Dogs on Mars, Snakes on the Moon – Mars Sample Return and VIPER – YouTube Watch On On Episode 130 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik talk with Dr. Jim Bell about the Mars Sample Return program and VIPER mission to the moon. NASA’s planetary exploration program is in trouble. The Mars Sample Return program is verging on cancellation, and the VIPER mission to the moon already has been. Both are critical precursors to human exploration of these places, as Dr. Jim Bell of Arizona State…

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SpaceX, NASA ‘go’ for 1st astronaut launch to ISS from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station pad

NeRD

NASA cleared its next astronaut flight to the International Space Station for launch on Friday (Sept. 27), a weekend liftoff that will help return two Boeing Starliner astronauts home and break in a new launch pad for SpaceX.  A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft will launch two Crew-9 astronauts, NASA veteran Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexandr Gorbunov, to the ISS from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Saturday, Sept. 28. Liftoff is set for 1:17 p.m. EDT (1517 GMT).  “We’re proceeding toward launch and go…

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Watch spectacular Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS rise during the early hours of Sept. 28 with this free livestream

NeRD

Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS at perihelion: online observation – 28 Sept. 2024 – YouTube Watch On Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS has been making quite a name for itself these past few weeks, providing a dazzling spectacle for early morning risers wishing to catch a glimpse of the “dirty snowball” as it streaks through the predawn sky.  On Sept. 27, the comet will reach its perihelion — the closest distance to the sun. At 1:55 p.m. EDT (1755 GMT) the comet will be about 36.4 million miles (58.6 million kilometers) away…

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Lego Ideas submissions Lunar Landscape, Space Projection Telescope and Voyager 1’s Pale Blue Dot need to be made into real sets

NeRD

Space continues to be a popular theme for budding Lego designers, and three new Lego Ideas submissions have rocketed onto our wish list. Will they get your vote? Earlier this year, we looked at three space-themed Lego Ideas submissions: The Martian, NASA’s Space Launch System and a Kerbal Space Program Modular Ship System. While the Kerbal Space Program and SLS sets managed to garner enough votes to get in front of a Lego panel, unfortunately neither of them were approved to be made. There’s still hope for The Martian, however,…

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How to watch SpaceX’s Crew-9 astronaut launch for NASA on Sept. 28

NeRD

SpaceX plans to launch the Crew-9 astronaut mission for NASA on Saturday (Sept. 28), and you can watch the action live online. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying a Crew Dragon spacecraft and its crew is scheduled to lift off from Space Launch Complex-40 at Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Saturday at 1:17 p.m. EDT (1717 GMT). You can watch the liftoff — the first crewed launch ever from SLC-40 — live here at Space.com, courtesy of NASA. Crew-9, the ninth crew rotation mission for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program,…

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