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SDA selects initial HALO pool for future prototype demos

The Space Development Agency (SDA) has selected 19, non-traditional space companies to join the Hybrid Acquisition for Proliferated Low Earth Orbit, or HALO, pool, an acquisition approach to solicit and rapidly award protype demonstrations and experimentation to support future tranches of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture.

HALO is an Other Transactions (OT) agreement modeled after an indefinite-delivery-indefinite-quantity (IDIQ)- approach, where each member receives an initial agreement valued at $20,000 to defray administrative and travel expenses and is then eligible to compete for future HALO demonstration prototype orders.

Future prototype orders under HALO will focus on rapid end-to-end mission demonstrations with launch of two identical satellites 12-18 months after award. The first planned prototype orders in HALO are for the Tranche 2 Demonstration and Experimentation System (T2DES) projects, which will reduce risk and demonstrate feasibility of proliferation for future tactical data links and optical communication missions.

“Through HALO, SDA has an even faster and more flexible contracting mechanism in place to compete and award T2DES and other SDA demonstration projects,” said SDA Director Derek Tournear. “We believe HALO will also increase the pool of performers capable of bidding on future SDA programs, including participation in layers of future tranches.”

Pool members selected include:

Industry had the opportunity to submit proposals against representative prototype orders to compete for specific flight demonstration opportunities as part of their bid for eligibility to join into the vendor pool. Only vendors in the HALO pool will be able to bid against future specific demonstration prototype orders. HALO may also increase the pool of performers capable of bidding on future SDA programs, including participation in layers of future tranches.

HALO will provide opportunities for companies to gain valuable experience working with SDA on demonstration projects. Space Development Agency, Washington, DC, is the agreement activity (FA24012490030).

Blue Origin could cite ‘don’t mess with Texas’ as NS-27 finally launched from Corn Ranch

All photos captured by Satnews from Blue Origin’s streaming video.

Today, Blue Origin’s 27th mission debuted the second human-rated vehicle for the New Shepard program, enabling expanded flight capacity to better meet growing customer demand. 

“We look forward to welcoming crew onboard RSS Kármán Line soon and offering the New Shepard flight experience to people across the world from all backgrounds,” said Phil Joyce, SVP, New Shepard. “On every New Shepard mission, we’ve witnessed people return to Earth changed by this experience, and with a renewed sense of commitment to preserve our planet.” 

The flight carried five payloads on the booster and seven inside the crew capsule, including tens of thousands of postcards flying as part of Club for the Future’s Postcards to Space program. Each postcard will be returned to its creator stamped “Flown to Space.” Digital postcards can be submitted here. 

If you’re interested in purchasing an astronaut seat on New Shepard, please visit here. For payload inquiries, go here. 

Blue Origin to hopefully launch NS-27 Wednesday after two previous scrubs

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New crew capsule, RSS Kármán Line. Credit Blue Origin

Blue Origin is ready to launch the uncrewed NS-27 mission at 11 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT), 8:00 AM PDT on Wednesday, October 23, from West Texas Suborbital Launch Site/ Corn Ranch, sending a brand-new New Shepard rocket-capsule combo on a brief trip to suborbital space.

Blue Origin released a statement on October 4 before the first attempt at a launch, “The vehicle features technology upgrades to improve the vehicle’s performance and reusability, an updated livery and accommodations for payloads on the booster.”

The history of the New Shepard 27 mission began on October 7 which was scrubbed following an extended hold while the technical team attempted to troubleshoot an issue with the vehicle. Another try six days later was scuttled by a GPS issue.

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The New Shepard reusable launch system is a vertical-takeoff, vertical-landing (VTVL), suborbital manned rocket that is being developed by Blue Origin as a commercial system for suborbital space tourism.

The forecast calls for a temperature of 71°F, broken clouds, 81% cloud cover and a wind speed of 5mph.

The eight previous crewed launches have used Booster 4 and the RSS First Step capsule. The NS-27 mission will debut and verify that RSS Kármán Line and Booster 5 meet Blue Origin’s needs and perform as expected as the company’s launch manifest increases. The vehicle features an updated livery and technology upgrades that improve its performance and reusability. The new capsule’s name refers to the boundary line that is widely regarded as the start of space.

Among the new upgrades is an accommodation for carrying payloads on the booster — five of which will be carried on this flight — while another seven will be inside the crew capsule. New navigation systems developed for the New Shepard and New Glenn vehicles are among these payloads, alongside two different Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) sensors for the Lunar Permanence program.

NS-27 is also carrying some ultra-wideband sensors as part of a NASA TechFlights grant and some reproductions of the black monoliths from the classic space movie 2001: A Space Odyssey for Spacemanic. As with other New Shepard flights, tens of thousands of student-designed postcards from Blue Origin’s Club for the Future program will also be onboard.

Blue Origin NS-27 launch — maybe Sunday the 13th will be lucky

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Credit Blue Origin

Another possible date for the evasive New Shephard-27 mission is now looking at Sunday, October 13 at 6:00 am to 1:30 pm PDT. Texas weather looks good and hopefully all the systems say GO!

The forecast calls for a temperature of 64°F, scattered clouds, 34% cloud cover and a wind speed of 1mph.

Blue Origin is an American privately funded aerospace manufacturer and spaceflight services company set up by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos with its headquarters in Kent, Washington. The company is developing technologies to enable private human access to space with the goal to dramatically lower costs and increase reliability. Blue Origin currently launches its New Shepard sub-orbital vehicle from its West Texas launch site, they are currently constructing a launch pad for their orbital vehicle New Glenn at Cape Canaveral LC-36.

Blue Origin moves New Shepard-27 launch again, now it’s Friday, hopefully

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Although Blue Origin’s previous attempt on Monday to launch the unmanned New Shepard-27 was scrubbed the new tentative date is Friday, October 11, at 9:00 AM EDT (13:00 UTC) from Launch Site One in West Texas. The scrub was the result of the crew‘s discovery when troubleshooting an issue on the launch vehicle that resulted in overrunning the launch window.

On Monday the announcement came from the decision makers…
“We’re going to scrub the launch for today. They’re troubleshooting a vehicle issue that will basically take us outside our available launch window,” Joel Eby, creative director at Blue Origin, said during the company’s launch webcast on Monday.

“Always disappointing to get to this point,” Eby added. “But, you know, we want to make sure all these systems are completely ready to go and be certain about the launch conditions for flight.”

The forecast calls for a temperature of 65°F, clear skies, 0% cloud cover and a wind speed of 2 mph.

Blue Origin moves New Shepard-27 launch to Thursday

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Blue Origin will attempt another launch of their NS-27 uncrewed verification flight debuting Blue Origin’s second human-rated vehicle to meet growing customer demand on Thursday, October 10th, at 6:00 AM – 1:30 PM PDT. On Monday the flight was scrubbed due to technical difficulty.

On Monday the announcement came from the decision makers…
“We’re going to scrub the launch for today. They’re troubleshooting a vehicle issue that will basically take us outside our available launch window,” Joel Eby, creative director at Blue Origin, said during the company’s launch webcast on Monday.

“Always disappointing to get to this point,” Eby added. “But, you know, we want to make sure all these systems are completely ready to go and be certain about the launch conditions for flight.”

The new crew capsule is named RSS Kármán Line. The vehicle features technology upgrades to improve the vehicle’s performance and reusability, an updated livery, and accommodations for payloads on the booster.

The launch will take place at West Texas Suborbital Launch Site/ Corn Ranch which has witnessed the launch of 26 rockets, including 0 orbital launch attempts.

The weather currently is cooperative if the launch takes place on Thursday, as the forecast calls for a temperature of 65° F, clear skies, 0% cloud cover and a wind speed of 4 mph.

Blue Origin’s New Shepard plans Wednesday launch after Monday’s technical issue scrub

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Blue Origin will attempt another launch of their NS-27 uncrewed verification flight debuting Blue Origin’s second human-rated vehicle to meet growing customer demand on Wednesday, October 9th, at 6:00 AM – 1:30 PM PDT. On Monday the flight was scrubbed due to technical difficulty.

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Blue Origin’s NS-27 will fly 12 payloads — 12 research payloads, five of them on the booster and seven inside the capsule. Payloads include new navigation systems developed for New Shepard and New Glenn; two different LIDAR sensors for the Lunar Permanence program; ultra-wideband proximity operations sensors flying as part of a NASA TechFlights grant with Blue Origin’s Space Systems Development group; and a commercial payload that is a reproduction of black monoliths from 2001: A Space Odyssey. The monoliths are flying on behalf of Spacemanic for a special edition printed by Croatian publisher Amaranthine Books. 

Eight of the vehicle’s 26 flights to date have been crewed using the same New Shepard vehicle — the Booster 4/RSS First Step combo. This second human-rated spacecraft will enable “expanded flight capacity to better meet growing customer demand,” according to the the company’s statement.

The new crew capsule is named RSS Kármán Line. The vehicle features technology upgrades to improve the vehicle’s performance and reusability, an updated livery, and accommodations for payloads on the booster.

The launch will take place at West Texas Suborbital Launch Site/ Corn Ranch which has witnessed the launch of 26 rockets, including 0 orbital launch attempts.

The forecast calls for a temperature of 66° F, clear skies, 0% cloud cover and a wind speed of 6 mph.

Bezos scrubs Blue Origin’s uncrewed NS-27 mission on Monday

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Jeff Bezos‘ plan to launch the uncrewed NS-27 mission Monday morning (October 7), to send a New Shepard rocket-capsule combo on a brief trip to suborbital space were scrubbed due to technical issues. A new date has not yet been announced that will launch from the company’s West Texas site.

“We’re going to scrub the launch for today. They’re troubleshooting a vehicle issue that will basically take us outside our available launch window,” Joel Eby, creative director at Blue Origin, said during the company’s launch webcast on Monday.

“Always disappointing to get to this point,” Eby added. “But, you know, we want to make sure all these systems are completely ready to go and be certain about the launch conditions for flight.”

12:14 PM CDT

We’re standing down on today’s launch attempt to troubleshoot a vehicle issue that would’ve taken us beyond our launch window. New launch target forthcoming.

10:25 AM CDT

New Shepard is going through final checks in advance of today’s uncrewed verification flight. We’re running a bit ahead of schedule. The NS-27 launch window will open at 11:00 AM CDT / 16:00 UTC. Webcast begins 15 minutes prior to liftoff on blueorigin.com/live. 

Blue Origin’s New Shepard ready to test NS-27 the newest booster on Monday’s launch

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On Monday, October 7th, at 6:00 AM – 1:30 PM PDT, Blue Origin plans the launch of the twenty-seventh flight of New Shepard from West Texas Suborbital Launch Site/ Corn Ranch , which will be flying unmanned as a test for the newest booster. NS-27 will fly 12 payloads—five on the booster and seven inside the crew capsule.

NS-27 will mark the debut of the second human-rated New Shepard vehicle, which consists of a first stage known as Booster 5 and a crew capsule named RSS Kármán Line. (The Kármán line is the 62-mile-high boundary that many people regard as the start of outer space.)

The new crew capsule is named RSS Kármán line. The vehicle features technology upgrades to improve the vehicle’s performance and reusability, an updated livery, and accommodations for payloads on the booster.

West Texas Suborbital Launch Site/ Corn Ranch has witnessed the launch of 26 rockets, including 0 orbital launch attempts, while Corn Ranch, Van Horn, Texas, has been the site for 26 rocket launches.

The forecast calls for a temperature of 64°F, clear skies, 0% cloud cover and a wind speed of 3mph.

Blue Origin Debuts Second Human-Rated New Shepard Rocket To Meet Demand

Blue Origin’s next New Shepard flight, NS-27, will debut our second human-rated vehicle, enabling expanded flight capacity to better meet growing customer demand. The launch window for the uncrewed verification flight opens on Monday, October 7, at 8:00 AM CDT / 1300 UTC. The webcast will begin 15 minutes before liftoff on BlueOrigin.com. 

The new crew capsule is named RSS Kármán Line. The vehicle features technology upgrades to improve the vehicle’s performance and reusability, an updated livery, and accommodations for payloads on the booster. New Shepard remains one of the most sustainable rockets ever to fly to space. Nearly 99% of New Shepard’s dry mass is reused, including the booster, capsule, engine, landing gear, and parachutes. 

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New Shepard’s second human-rated vehicle.

NS-27 will fly 12 payloads — five on the booster and seven inside the crew capsule. Payloads include new navigation systems developed for New Shepard and New Glenn; two different LIDAR sensors for the Lunar Permanence program; ultra-wideband proximity operations sensors flying as part of a NASA TechFlights grant with Blue Origin’s Space Systems Development group; and a commercial payload that is a reproduction of black monoliths from 2001: A Space Odyssey. The monoliths are flying on behalf of Spacemanic for a special edition printed by Croatian publisher Amaranthine Books. 

The mission will also carry tens of thousands of student-designed postcards on behalf of Club for the Future, Blue Origin’s STEAM-focused nonprofit whose mission is to inspire and mobilize future generations to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. The organization has engaged more than 43 million students globally since its founding in 2019.

Boeing satellite explodes in space, debris in orbit, further adding to the company’s difficulties

An artist’s impression of Boeing’s Intelstat IS-33e satellite, in geostationary orbit.

A Boeing-made satellite exploded in space, creating further fodder to the crisis-hit aerospace company. After confirming the satellite incident over the weekend, Intelsat has now said it believes IS-33e is a “total loss”.

On Saturday an “anomaly” caused it to unexpectedly break apart, a statement from Intelsat said, bringing a halt to communications.

The Intelsat IS-33e satellite’s approximately 20 pieces of debris from the craft now in orbit is being tracked by the U.S. Space Force.

Intelsat’s customers who relied on the satellite’s services were being transferred to other assets or satellites operated by third parties. Officials stated that they had “observed no immediate threats” but were continuing to monitor the situation.

The IS-33e satellite, which is owned and operated by Intelsat, was kept in geostationary orbit to provide telecoms, broadcasting and other services to customers back on Earth.

The company added, “We are coordinating with the satellite manufacturer, Boeing, and government agencies to analyze data and observations.

“A failure review board has been convened to complete a comprehensive analysis of the cause of the anomaly.”

The situation brings further light to the company that is currently struggling with other major issues included the stranding of NASA’s astronauts after malfunctions on Starliner spacecraft, and a major safety failure on a 737 Max 9 passenger plane.

U.S.S.F’s SSC issues 2 Task Orders for National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 1

First Phase 3 Lane 1 task orders issued under dual-lane acquisition strategy expands
launch service provider pool for national security launches.

The U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC) awarded National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 Lane 1 Launch Service Task Orders (LSTOs) totaling $733,566,001 to SpaceX.

These are the first two NSSL Phase 3 Lane 1 LSTOs issued under an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract awarded in June of 2024. They include one Task Order for seven Space Development Agency (SDA) launches, and one for a National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) mission set.

The SDA-1 LSTO will support the launch of Space Vehicles (SVs) for the Tranche 2 Transport Layer satellite constellation.

An artistic illustration by the Space Development Agency.

The NTO-2 LSTO will support an NRO mission set that will be launched into orbit during 4QFY25 and 4QFY26. SpaceX will launch the NRO mission set from Vandenberg Space Force Base.

The next opportunity for providers to on-ramp their emerging systems to the Lane 1 IDIQ contract will occur later this year followed by several more Task Order RFPs for launch services in the third quarter of FY25.

The Phase 3 Lane 1 award period consists of a five-year base ordering period from FY25 to FY29 plus a five-year option. At least 30 NSSL Lane 1 missions are expected to be competed over the five-year base ordering period. 

“In this era of Great Power Competition, it is imperative to not leave capability on the ground,” said Brig. Gen. Kristin Panzenhagen, program executive officer for Assured Access to Space. “The Phase 3 Lane 1 construct allows us to execute launch services more quickly for the more risk-tolerant payloads, putting more capabilities on orbit faster in order to support National Security.”

“We are excited to kick off our innovative NSSL Phase 3 Lane 1 effort with two task orders that support critical NRO and SDA missions,” said Lt. Col. Douglas Downs, SSC’s materiel leader for Space Launch Procurement. “Industry stepped up to the plate and delivered on this competition. Our innovative dual-lane strategy is enabling a streamlined process from mission acquisition to launch, getting our assets on orbit for our warfighters’ benefit more quickly. Plus, with the ability to on-ramp new providers and systems annually, we expect to see increasing competition and diversity.”

Space Systems Command is the U.S. Space Force’s field command responsible for acquiring and delivering resilient war fighting capabilities to protect our nation’s strategic advantage in, from, and to space. SSC manages a $15.6 billion space acquisition budget for the DoD and works in partnership with joint forces, industry, government agencies, and academic and allied organizations to accelerate innovation and outpace emerging threats. Our actions today are making the world a better space for tomorrow.

ESA orders 6 more radar-based satellites from Thales Alenia Space for IRIDE constellation

IRIDE image ©Thales Alenia Space.

Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), has signed a 107 million euros contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) for the supply of 6 additional radar-based satellites dedicated to the Italian Earth observation constellation, IRIDE.

IRIDE imagery is courtesy of ESA.

This second batch of satellites, as the previous batch of six, will rely on the innovative and scalable NIMBUS (New Italian Micro Bus) platform. Built by Thales Alenia Space, the high-performance NIMBUS will be produced rapidly and is designed for high-revisit and high-capacity constellations in addition to very high throughput.

For the Italian Earth Observation Constellation IRIDE, Thales Alenia Space will build a total of 13 satellites: 12 small-sized satellites based on SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) technology and 1 satellite based on optical technology.

IRIDE is one of the most important European space programs in the field of Earth Observation. It is a government project funded as part of Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), complemented by funding from the National Integration Plan (PNC). IRIDE is a constellation of satellites, operational by 2026, managed by the European Space Agency (ESA) in conjunction with the Italian Space Agency (ASI).

IRIDE features a hybrid constellation of different satellites with dedicated EO sensors; this end-to-end system comprises a series of LEO satellite sub-constellations, ground infrastructures (downstream) and services dedicated to the Italian Public Administration.

Thales Alenia Space will contribute to the achievement of this innovative constellation of satellites that feature sophisticated operating modes to support high revisit rates, providing data that can be integrated with that from other existing or future programs and infrastructures, including COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation and Prisma, as well as Europe’s vast Copernicus Earth observation and protection program.

Thales Alenia Space will further contribute to the constellation by supplying an optical satellite with a performance tailored to its needs. Built on the platform NIMBUS, the optical payload is developed by the Italian companies Media Lario and TSD-space, specialized in the creation of instruments and electronics for space.

The satellites will be built in Italy under the responsibility of Thales Alenia Space and thanks to the contribution of the entire supply chain of SMEs in the space sector. They will provide valuable data not only to researchers studying the evolution of the environmental conditions of Italy but also to the Civil Protection and other Public Administrations to protect coasts, monitor critical infrastructures, air quality and weather conditions. IRIDE’s data will be of paramount importance. This data will allow the development of commercial applications by start-ups, small and medium-sized enterprises and industries in the geospatial sector.

“I would like to thank the European and Italian Space Agencies for once again entrusting Thales Alenia Space’s competences and expertise,” said Giampiero Di Paolo, Senior Vice President Observation, Exploration and Navigation for Thales Alenia Space. “Leveraging our experience onboard major Earth observation programs, we are ready to reinforce our capabilities in the small satellite segment. Based on a series of sensing instruments and technologies, the IRIDE constellation will range from microwave imaging with radar sensors to optical imaging at various spatial resolutions and in different frequency ranges, making it a cutting-edge space program in Earth Observation. The radar technology on board this program will be a crucial pillar of our ALL-IN-ONE Earth observation solution, which effectively combines optical and radar small satellites to ensure high revisit frequency and control for near real-time monitoring.”

Argotec signs contract to deliver 15 more satellites

Present at the signing were Argotec CEO and founder David Avino, European Space Agency Earth Observation Programs Director Simonetta Cheli, and Italian Space Agency President Teodoro Valente.

Argotec has signed a contract for the delivery of 15 additional Earth Observation (EO) smallsats that will comprise the IRIDE constellation — this is a program desired by the Italian government and is funded by PNRR funds and coordinated by the European Space Agency (ESA).

This is the second batch for the company, which, back in December 2022, was the first to sign on for the delivery of the first 10 satellites, now nearly finished and ready to be launched in the coming months.

The satellites have a mass of about 70 kg and are equipped with a sophisticated on-board computer capable of processing images directly on-orbit. The constellation will provide crucial data for the provision of services, among them monitoring of land consumption, observation of critical land points, coastal protection, precision agriculture, support to Civil Defense and more. The constellation formed by Argotec’s platforms is named HEO (Hawk for Earth Observation) and is widely scalable.

All the satellites will be made in the SpacePark, a Space Factory on the outskirts of Turin, Italy, that will be among the most advanced in Europe and will be officially opened just days from now on October 18th. The company is continuing to grow and structure itself to increase production capabilities, thanks to the know-how of the firm’s engineers and the technological solutions the company has implemented in the SpacePark.

“We are extremely proud to once again be at the forefront of this strategic program for the entire Italian space sector,” said Argotec CEO David Avino. “We have proven once again that we are able to manufacture, validate and deliver excellent products in record time. For us, the signing of this second contract is further recognition of Argotec’s reliability and efficiency. Not only that, the IRIDE program, has been an enabler for investments in the area amounting to 25 million in facilities and over 100 new hires related to the SpacePark project. The goal for the future is to take Made in Italy excellence in the space sector far beyond national borders, consolidating Italian leadership globally.“

SpaceX launches Europa Clipper, NASA’s largest spacecraft to “study an ocean world beyond Earth…mind blowing science”

Launch of Europa Clipper captured by Satnews from SpaceX streaming video.

On Monday, October 14 at 12:06 p.m. ET Falcon Heavy launched NASA’s Europa Clipper mission from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

This was the sixth and final flight for the first stage boosters supporting this mission, which previously launched NASA’s Psyche one year ago and other missions USSF-44, USSF-52, USSF-67, Hughes JUPITER 3.

This artist’s concept depicts NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft in orbit around Jupiter. The mission is targeting an Oct. 10, 2024, launch.
NASA/JPL-Caltech

Europa Clipper is the largest spacecraft NASA has ever developed for a planetary mission with solar arrays spanning more than 100 feet (~30 meters) when deployed and weighing nearly 13,000 pounds (6,000 kilograms) at launch. Powered by 24 engines, Europa Clipper will make nearly 50 flybys of Jupiter’s icy moon Europa, surveying for conditions suitable to support life. Scientists predict a salty ocean lies beneath Europa’s icy surface which has more water than Earth’s oceans combined. It will take five years to reach Europa, with an anticipated arrival in 2030.

NASA’s Europa Clipper has embarked on its long voyage to Jupiter, where it will investigate Europa, a moon with an enormous subsurface ocean that may have conditions to support life. The spacecraft launched at 12:06 p.m. EDT Monday aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

NASA

The largest spacecraft NASA ever built for a mission headed to another planet, Europa Clipper also is the first NASA mission dedicated to studying an ocean world beyond Earth. The spacecraft will travel 1.8 billion miles (2.9 billion kilometers) on a trajectory that will leverage the power of gravity assists, first to Mars in four months and then back to Earth for another gravity assist flyby in 2026. After it begins orbiting Jupiter in April 2030, the spacecraft will fly past Europa 49 times.

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket carrying NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 12:06 p.m. EDT on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. After launch, the spacecraft plans to fly by Mars in February 2025, then back by Earth in December 2026, using the gravity of each planet to increase its momentum. With help of these “gravity assists,” Europa Clipper will achieve the velocity needed to reach Jupiter in April 2030.
Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

“Congratulations to our Europa Clipper team for beginning the first journey to an ocean world beyond Earth,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “NASA leads the world in exploration and discovery, and the Europa Clipper mission is no different. By exploring the unknown, Europa Clipper will help us better understand whether there is the potential for life not just within our solar system, but among the billions of moons and planets beyond our Sun.”

Approximately five minutes after liftoff, the rocket’s second stage fired up and the payload fairing, or the rocket’s nose cone, opened to reveal Europa Clipper. About an hour after launch, the spacecraft separated from the rocket. Ground controllers received a signal soon after, and two-way communication was established at 1:13 p.m. with NASA’s Deep Space Network facility in Canberra, Australia. Mission teams celebrated as initial telemetry reports showed Europa Clipper is in good health and operating as expected.

“We could not be more excited for the incredible and unprecedented science NASA’s Europa Clipper mission will deliver in the generations to come,” said Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Everything in NASA science is interconnected, and Europa Clipper’s scientific discoveries will build upon the legacy that our other missions exploring Jupiter — including Juno, Galileo, and Voyager — created in our search for habitable worlds beyond our home planet.”

The main goal of the mission is to determine whether Europa has conditions that could support life. Europa is about the size of our own Moon, but its interior is different. Information from NASA’s Galileo mission in the 1990s showed strong evidence that under Europa’s ice lies an enormous, salty ocean with more water than all of Earth’s oceans combined. Scientists also have found evidence that Europa may host organic compounds and energy sources under its surface.

If the mission determines Europa is habitable, it may mean there are more habitable worlds in our solar system and beyond than imagined.

“We’re ecstatic to send Europa Clipper on its way to explore a potentially habitable ocean world, thanks to our colleagues and partners who’ve worked so hard to get us to this day,” said Laurie Leshin, director, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “Europa Clipper will undoubtedly deliver mind-blowing science. While always bittersweet to send something we’ve labored over for years off on its long journey, we know this remarkable team and spacecraft will expand our knowledge of our solar system and inspire future exploration.”

In 2031, the spacecraft will begin conducting its science-dedicated flybys of Europa. Coming as close as 16 miles (25 kilometers) to the surface, Europa Clipper is equipped with nine science instruments and a gravity experiment, including an ice-penetrating radar, cameras, and a thermal instrument to look for areas of warmer ice and any recent eruptions of water. As the most sophisticated suite of science instruments NASA has ever sent to Jupiter, they will work in concert to learn more about the moon’s icy shell, thin atmosphere, and deep interior.

To power those instruments in the faint sunlight that reaches Jupiter, Europa Clipper also carries the largest solar arrays NASA has ever used for an interplanetary mission. With arrays extended, the spacecraft spans 100 feet (30.5 meters) from end to end. With propellant loaded, it weighs about 13,000 pounds (5,900 kilograms).

In all, more than 4,000 people have contributed to Europa Clipper mission since it was formally approved in 2015.

“As Europa Clipper embarks on its journey, I’ll be thinking about the countless hours of dedication, innovation, and teamwork that made this moment possible,” said Jordan Evans, project manager, NASA JPL. “This launch isn’t just the next chapter in our exploration of the solar system; it’s a leap toward uncovering the mysteries of another ocean world, driven by our shared curiosity and continued search to answer the question, ‘are we alone?’”

More About Europa Clipper

Europa Clipper’s three main science objectives are to determine the thickness of the moon’s icy shell and its interactions with the ocean below, to investigate its composition, and to characterize its geology. The mission’s detailed exploration of Europa will help scientists better understand the astrobiological potential for habitable worlds beyond our planet.

Managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California, NASA JPL leads the development of the Europa Clipper mission in partnership with the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The main spacecraft body was designed by APL in collaboration with NASA JPL and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. The Planetary Missions Program Office at Marshall executes program management of the Europa Clipper mission.

NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at NASA Kennedy, managed the launch service for the Europa Clipper spacecraft.

Learn more about NASA’s Europa Clipper mission here:

SpaceX’s successful Sunday Starship launch — lucky 13, and on first try Mechazilla caught the booster

Starship’s fifth flight test lifted off on October 13, 2024, with our most ambitious test objectives yet as we work to demonstrate techniques fundamental to Starship and Super Heavy’s fully and rapidly reusable design.

All images captured by Satnews during SpaceX streaming video on Sunday, October 13 during Starship’s fifth test

And on our first try, Mechazilla caught the booster.

Following a successful liftoff, ascent, stage separation, boostback burn, and coast, the Super Heavy booster performed its landing burn and was caught by the chopstick arms of the launch and catch tower at Starbase. Thousands of distinct vehicle and pad criteria had to be met prior to the catch attempt, and thanks to the tireless work of SpaceX engineers, we succeeded with catch on our first attempt.

Ready to catch a booster? starshipthegame.spacex.com

Prior to catch, Starship executed another successful hot-staging separation, igniting its six Raptor engines and completing ascent into outer space. It coasted along its planned trajectory to the other side of the planet before executing a controlled reentry, passing through the phases of peak heating and maximum aerodynamic pressure, before executing a flip, landing burn, and splashdown at its target area in the Indian Ocean. The flight test concluded at splashdown 1 hour, 5 minutes and 40 seconds after launch.

The entire SpaceX team should take pride in the engineering feat they just accomplished. The world witnessed what the future will look like when Starship starts carrying crew and cargo to destinations on Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond.

Congratulations to the SpaceX team for taking this leap in our quest to make life multiplanetary. And thank you to our customers, Cameron County, spaceflight fans, and the wider community for the continued support and encouragement.

Mechazilla caught the booster.

Thousands of distinct vehicle and pad criteria must be met prior to a return and catch attempt of the Super Heavy booster, which will require healthy systems on the booster and tower and a manual command from the mission’s Flight Director. If this command is not sent prior to the completion of the boostback burn, or if automated health checks show unacceptable conditions with Super Heavy or the tower, the booster will default to a trajectory that takes it to a landing burn and soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.

The returning booster will slow down from supersonic speeds, resulting in audible sonic booms in the area around the landing zone. Generally, the only impact to those in the surrounding area of a sonic boom is the brief thunder-like noise with variables like weather and distance from the return site determining the magnitude experienced by observers.

SpaceX’s Starship ready for fifth flight test on Sunday including sonic booms

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Starship’s fifth flight test is targeted to launch on Sunday, October 13. The 30-minute launch window opens at 7 a.m. CT.

A live webcast of the flight test will begin about 35 minutes before liftoff, which you can watch here and on X @SpaceX. You can also watch the webcast on the new X TV app. The launch window will open as early as 7:00 a.m. CT. As is the case with all developmental testing, the schedule is dynamic and likely to change, so be sure to stay tuned to our X account for updates.

Flight 4 was a tremendous success. A fully successful ascent was followed by the first ever booster soft-landing in the Gulf of Mexico and Starship making it through a brilliant reentry, before its own landing burn and splashdown in the Indian Ocean.

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The fifth flight test of Starship will aim to take another step towards full and rapid reusability. The primary objectives will be attempting the first ever return to launch site and catch of the Super Heavy booster and another Starship reentry and landing burn, aiming for an on-target splashdown of Starship in the Indian Ocean.

Learn more at starshipthegame.spacex.com

Extensive upgrades ahead of this flight test have been made to hardware and software across Super Heavy, Starship, and the launch and catch tower infrastructure at Starbase. SpaceX engineers have spent years preparing and months testing for the booster catch attempt, with technicians pouring tens of thousands of hours into building the infrastructure to maximize our chances for success. We accept no compromises when it comes to ensuring the safety of the public and our team, and the return will only be attempted if conditions are right.

Thousands of distinct vehicle and pad criteria must be met prior to a return and catch attempt of the Super Heavy booster, which will require healthy systems on the booster and tower and a manual command from the mission’s Flight Director. If this command is not sent prior to the completion of the boostback burn, or if automated health checks show unacceptable conditions with Super Heavy or the tower, the booster will default to a trajectory that takes it to a landing burn and soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.

The returning booster will slow down from supersonic speeds, resulting in audible sonic booms in the area around the landing zone. Generally, the only impact to those in the surrounding area of a sonic boom is the brief thunder-like noise with variables like weather and distance from the return site determining the magnitude experienced by observers.

Starship will fly a similar trajectory as the previous flight test with splashdown targeted in the Indian Ocean. This flight path does not require a deorbit burn for reentry, maximizing public safety while still providing the opportunity to meet our primary objective of a controlled reentry and soft water landing of Starship.

One of the key upgrades on Starship ahead of flight was a complete rework of its heatshield, with SpaceX technicians spending more than 12,000 hours replacing the entire thermal protection system with newer-generation tiles, a backup ablative layer, and additional protections between the flap structures. This massive effort, along with updates to the ship’s operations and software for reentry and landing burn, will look to improve upon the previous flight and bring Starship to a soft splashdown at the target area in the Indian Ocean.

With each flight building on the learnings from the last, testing improvements in hardware and operations across every facet of Starship, we’re on the verge of demonstrating techniques fundamental to Starship’s fully and rapidly reusable design. By continuing to push our hardware in a flight environment, and doing so as safely and frequently as possible, we’ll rapidly bring Starship online and revolutionize humanity’s ability to access space.

SpaceX sends off ESA’s Hera planetary defense mission to study NASA’s astroid redirection

Photo captured on Monday, October 7, by Satnews from SpaceX’s video stream

Florida’s weather held steady on Monday, October 7, enabling SpaceX to launch the ESA Hera mission to interplanetary transfer orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

This was the 23rd and final launch for this Falcon 9 first stage booster, which previously launched Crew-1, Crew-2, SXM-8, CRS-23, IXPE, Transporter-4, Transporter-5, Globalstar FM15, ISI EROS C-3, Korea 425, Maxar 1, ASBM, and 10 Starlink missions.

Hera is a planetary defense mission that will study the impact NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission spacecraft had on the Dimorphos asteroid, which Falcon 9 launched in November 2021. Hera will provide valuable data for future asteroid deflection missions and science to help humanity’s understanding of asteroid geophysics as well as solar system formation and evolutionary processes.

SpaceX to launch ESA’s Hera to study Didymos asteroid on Monday, weather permitting

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This artist’s concept shows ESA’s Hera spacecraft and its CubeSats in orbit around the Dimorphos moonlet. NASA has selected 12 participating scientists to join the Hera mission.

On Monday, October 7th, at 7:52 AM – 8:27 AM PDT from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral, SpaceX plans to launch Hera, for the European Space Agency, on a space mission in its Space Safety program. The weather could present a challenge.

Its primary objective is to study the Didymos binary asteroid system that was impacted by DART and contribute to validation of the kinetic impact method to deviate a near-Earth asteroid in a colliding trajectory with Earth. It will measure the size and the morphology of the crater created by and momentum transferred by an artificial projectile impacting an asteroid, which will allow measuring the efficiency of the deflection produced by the impact. It will also analyze the expanding debris cloud caused by the impact.

According to weather officials, there’s a 15% chance of favorable weather conditions at the time of the launch. The forecast calls for a temperature of 75°F, moderate rain, 100% cloud cover, a wind speed of 16mph and 2.56in of rain.

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NASA has selected 12 participating scientists to join ESA’s (European Space Agency) Hera mission. Hera will study the binary asteroid system Didymos, including the moonlet Dimorphos, which was impacted by NASA’s DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) spacecraft on September 26, 2022. The objectives of DART and Hera collectively aim to validate the kinetic impact method as a technology to deflect an asteroid on a collision course with Earth, if one is ever discovered, and to learn more about the near-Earth asteroids that are the source of this natural hazard. 

Hera is scheduled to arrive at the Didymos/Dimorphos binary asteroid system at the end of 2026, where it will gather otherwise unobtainable data about the mass and makeup of both bodies and assess the changes caused by the DART spacecraft’s kinetic impact.  

The goal of NASA’s Hera Participating Scientist Program is to support scientists at U.S. institutions to participate on the Hera mission and address outstanding questions in planetary defense and near-Earth asteroid science. The participating scientists will become Hera science team members during their 5-year tenure with the mission.

The newly selected participating scientists are:

  • Bonnie Buratti – NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Southern California
  • Ingrid Daubar – Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
  • Carolyn Ernst – Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
  • Dawn Graninger – Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
  • Mark Haynes – NASA JPL
  • Masatoshi Hirabayashi – Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta
  • Tim Lister – Las Cumbres Observatory, Goleta, California
  • Ryan Park – NASA JPL
  • Andrew Rivkin – Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
  • Daniel Scheeres – University of Colorado, Boulder
  • Timothy Titus – U.S. Geological Survey, Flagstaff, Arizona 
  • Yun Zhang – University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

DART was the first planetary defense test mission from NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office, which oversees the agency’s ongoing efforts in planetary defense. International participation in DART and Hera, including the Hera Participating Scientist Program, has been enabled by an ongoing worldwide collaboration in the planetary defense research community known as the Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment.

DART was designed, built, and operated by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, for NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office, which oversees the agency’s ongoing efforts in planetary defense.

SpaceX, at zero to 4,000 mph in less than three minutes, begins NASA’s Crew-9 astronauts’ journey on way to ISS

Photo captured live on Saturday, September 28, by Satnews from SpaceX’s video stream.

Cape Canaveral’s weather cooperated on September 28, despite hurricane Helene, making it possible at 1:17 ET for SpaceX to send NASA’s Crew 9 astronauts, NASA astronaut Nick Hague, commander, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, mission specialist, off to the ISS to hook up in about 28 hours.

The ritual began as the pair entered the White Room and continued the tradition of signing their names on the NASA meatball logo on the wall. Hague and Gorbunov will be the first names on the wall since this is the first human spaceflight mission from Space Launch Complex-40. The White Room is an area at the end of the crew access arm that connects to the spacecraft — the term dates to the Gemini program and the white paint used on the room.  

As the crew entered the Dragon spacecraft, their seats were in the upright position. Once the crew was securely inside, the seats rotated into a reclined position for launch just before launch teams closed Dragon’s side hatch.  

Photo captured live on Saturday, September 28, by Satnews from SpaceX’s video stream.

Crew-9 is now the first human spaceflight to launch from Space Launch Complex-40 which was scheduled to fly in August, however the mission was pushed back for NASA and Boeing to analyze the Starliner situation so that there would be a place for Dragon to dock.

Space Launch Complex-40 carries decades of history dating back to the 1960s when Titan rockets launched from the pad for the United States Air Force. SpaceX leased the launch site in 2007 for the company’s Falcon 9 rockets, but this is the first time a human spaceflight mission will launch from the pad.

In 2023, teams at SpaceX built a tower, a crew access arm, and an emergency escape system for future crewed missions. The emergency system involves chutes instead of egress baskets like those used at Launch Complex 39A and B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. 

And at last, picking up speed quickly the crew was successfully sent into orbit as the Dragon separated. Godspeed.

Photo captured live on Saturday, September 28, by Satnews from SpaceX’s video stream.

During their time on the orbiting laboratory, the crew will conduct over 200 scientific experiments and technology demonstrations to prepare for human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit and to benefit humanity on Earth.

SpaceX’s Saturday launch of the Crew-9 astronauts’ mission tenuous due to Helene

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Falcon and Crew Dragon capsule are stacked at sunrise ahead of this weekend’s launch of Crew-9
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SpaceX and NASA are targeting no earlier than Saturday, September 28, at 1:17 p.m. EDT due to Tropical Storm Helene, for Falcon 9’s launch of Dragon’s ninth operational human spaceflight mission (Crew-9) to the International Space Station from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The instantaneous launch is at 1:17 p.m. ET, with a backup opportunity available on Sunday, September 29 at 12:54 p.m. ET if needed.

Crew-9 will be the first human spaceflight to launch from Space Launch Complex-40 which was scheduled to fly in August, however the mission was pushed back for NASA and Boeing to analyze the Starliner situation so that there would be a place for Dragon to dock.

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AccuWeather Saturday Forecast

  • 90°Hi
  • RealFeel® 100°
  • RealFeel Shade™ 98°
  • Max UV Index 2 Lo
  • Wind SSW 10 mph
  • Wind Gusts 23 mph
  • Probability of Precipitation 96%
  • Probability of Thunderstorms 58%
  • Precipitation 0.32 in
  • Rain 0.32 in
  • Hours of Precipitation 4
  • Hours of Rain 4
  • Cloud Cover 95%

At landfall Thursday evening – between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. EDT – Helene will have maximum sustained winds of 130-135 mph, with much stronger gusts to at least 150 mph and an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 160 mph.

The StormMax gust is a Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale of at least 157 mph. At this intensity, many trees will be uprooted, roofs will be removed and some structures may totally fail.

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The impacts of a hurricane go well beyond its potentially destructive winds. The AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes incorporates storm surge, flooding, rainfall, population density and economic impacts in addition to maximum winds. Due to complications from torrential rainfall, these impacts occur not only along the coast but hundreds of miles inland.

SpaceX preps for Saturday’s Crew-9 mission of two astronauts to conduct experiments and demonstrations on ISS

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Col. Tyler N. Hague (l) and Aleksandr Gorbunov (r)
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SpaceX and NASA are targeting no earlier than Saturday, September 28 due to Tropical Storm Helene, for Falcon 9’s launch of Dragon’s ninth operational human spaceflight mission (Crew-9) to the International Space Station from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The instantaneous launch is at 1:17 p.m. ET, with a backup opportunity available on Sunday, September 29 at 12:54 p.m. ET if needed.

A live webcast of this mission will begin about one hour prior to liftoff, which you can watch here and on X @SpaceX. You can also watch the webcast on the new X TV app.

The Dragon spacecraft supporting this mission previously flew the Crew-4, Ax-2, and Ax-3 missions to and from the International Space Station. Following stage separation, Falcon 9’s first stage will land on Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

During their time on the orbiting laboratory, the crew will conduct over 200 scientific experiments and technology demonstrations to prepare for human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit and to benefit humanity on Earth.

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Col. Tyler N. Hague was selected by NASA as an astronaut in 2013. The Kansas native earned a Bachelor of Science in astronautical engineering from the United States Air Force Academy in 1998, and a Master of Science in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2000.

Selected as an astronaut by NASA in 2013, Hague completed astronaut candidate training in July 2015. During his first mission to the International Space Station in 2018, he and his crewmate Alexey Ovchinin, of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, experienced a catastrophic rocket booster malfunction that resulted in the launch abort of their Soyuz MS-10.

In 2019, Hague launched on Soyuz MS-12 and served as Flight Engineer on the International Space Station for 203 days during Expedition 59 and 60. During 2020-2022, Hague completed a developmental rotation with the United States Space Force, serving as the new military service’s Director of Test and Evaluation at The Pentagon in Washington D.C.

He returned to NASA in August 2022 to work on the Boeing Starliner Program. Hague is currently training for his second spaceflight, where he will serve as commander for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission.

Aleksandr Vladimirovich Gorbunov served as a Lieutenant of the Air Force of the Aerospace Forces of the Russian Armed Forces and worked as an engineer for Energia, supporting cargo spacecraft launches.

He was selected to join the Roscosmos Cosmonaut Corps in 2018. He is scheduled to make his first flight to space on SpaceX Crew-9 in September 2024 and will serve as a flight engineer on the International Space Station during Expedition 72.