Space Stations

NASA / Bigelow Arrangement Opens the Door to Bigger Things

NASA / Bigelow Arrangement Opens the Door to Bigger Things

Space.com is reporting that NASA and Bigelow Aerospace have reached an agreement which will allow the North Las Vegas company to fly its proposed BEAM, Bigelow Aerospace Expanded Module  to the International Space Station, where it would to provide extra storage space, similar to that provided by the Permanent Multi Purpose Logistics Module. Assuming the agreement, which is […]

Posted in: NASA, Space Stations
NASA’s Spot the Station Service

NASA’s Spot the Station Service

NASA is often accused of doing a less than stellar job of informing the public of what it is actually doing.  If seeing really is believing, then a recently released spotting program is a step in the right direction.   With the advent of cold clear nights which make fall and winter the best seasons for nighttime sky watching, […]

Posted in: NASA, Space Stations
Dragon Released from ISS, Heading Home

Dragon Released from ISS, Heading Home

High above Burma, ISS astronauts released the SpaceX CRS-1 Dragon capsule at 8:29 AM CST.  Following two brief burns to safely remove the spacecraft from  the International Space Station’s “keep out sphere”   the craft rotated, accelerated and began heading back to Earth for an estimated landing at 2:20  PM CST. The deorbit burn, which will lower […]

Soyuz Booster Lofts New Crew Towards ISS

Soyuz Booster Lofts New Crew Towards ISS

NASA Press Release: RELEASE : 12-369      New Crew Headed to the International Space Station     HOUSTON — NASA astronaut Kevin Ford and Russian cosmonauts Evgeny Tarelkin and Oleg Novitskiy launched aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket on their mission to the International Space Station at 5:51 a.m. CDT Tuesday (4:51 p.m. Kazakhstan time). […]

Posted in: NASA, Space Stations
Hit Piece on SpaceX Misses Target, Results in Self Inflicted Wound

Hit Piece on SpaceX Misses Target, Results in Self Inflicted Wound

If you’re going to commit a drive by, at least don’t aim at yourself. In an article published yesterday in the Washington Examiner, meant as an attack on SpaceX and Elon Musk, staff writer Richard Pollock initiated a series of stumbling, intellectually vacant statements with this whopper: “The rocket lost power from one of its nine engines shortly after […]

Space Adventures Sells Sarah Brightman, She Sells Space

Space Adventures Sells Sarah Brightman, She Sells Space

Space Adventures yesterday confirmed rumours that Sarah Brightman will become the next space tourist. The world’s best selling soprano will fly on the Russian booster on a 10 day trip to the International Space Station at a date which has yet to be determined.  The most likely time frame appears to be 2015, when two seats are opened on the Soyuz […]

Dragon Berthing Complete

Dragon Berthing Complete

At 9:03 AM Eastern time, the SpaceX Dragon capsule was officially attached to the International Space Station. After being maneuvered into position on the Earth facing side of the Harmony module via the uniquely versatile Canadarm 2, astronauts initially engaged 4 latches followed by 16 bolts, effectively making the Dragon a part of the station. In a cruel and patently unfair development, allegedly part of […]

“Looks Like We’ve Tamed the Dragon”

“Looks Like We’ve Tamed the Dragon”

Watch live coveage of CRS-1 at SpaceX.com SpaceX CRS-1 Mission Update:  October 10, 2012 Update from SpaceX The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft has been successfully captured at the International Space Station. At approximately 6:56AM ET / 3:56AM PT, Expedition 33 crew member Akihiko Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency used the station’s robotic arm to grapple Dragon. Expedition 33 […]

After a Success Liftoff, SpaceX Dragon is in Orbit

After a Success Liftoff, SpaceX Dragon is in Orbit

This time, the signs all seemed to be pointing in the same direction.  With no technical issues developing during the countdown, and the weather forecast improving in the final hour before launch, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off precisely on time at 8:35:07 PM Eastern time en route to a historic first regularly scheduled supply […]

For SpaceX, the Real Mission Begins Tonight

For SpaceX, the Real Mission Begins Tonight

With roughly two hours until the scheduled liftoff of the Falcon 9 and Dragon Capsule in support of NASA’s CRS-1 flight to the International Space Station, the pre-season for SpaceX, and for space commerce is rapidly coming to a close. Although by most appearances this flight is nearly identical to the highly successful COTS 2/3 mission this past […]

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