NASA's Lunar Polar Hydrogen Mapper (LunaH-Map) CubeSat was launched by the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket for the Artemis I mission on Nov. 17. LunaH-Map, developed by Arizona State University and sponsored by NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD), will measure the distribution and amount of hydrogen throughout the Moon's South Pole. If successful, the LunaH-Map …
SpaceX Falcon 9 Set to Launch Dragon Spacecraft to the International Space Station
Good afternoon from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft for the company’s 26th commercial resupply services mission stand ready for liftoff at Launch Complex 39A. Launch is scheduled for 3:54 p.m. EST during an instantaneous opportunity. Dragon’s internal countdown is running and propellant loading is underway. Fueling …
Artemis I – Flight Day Six: Orion Performs Lunar Flyby, Closest Outbound Approach
On its sixth day into the Artemis I mission, Orion successfully completed its fourth orbital trajectory correction burn using the auxiliary engines at 1:44 a.m. CST ahead the first of two maneuvers required to enter a distant retrograde orbit around the Moon. The first three trajectory correction burns provided an opportunity to fire all three …
ISS Daily Summary Report – 11/21/2022
Payloads: Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Media Take Part 2: Using a JAXA camcorder, the crew participated in a live interview and recorded a session to discuss several subjects. The JAXA Public Relations Activity (JAXA EPO) includes conducting cultural activities such as writing reports about and filming video of activities aboard the ISS. These tools …
Crew Preparing for Spacewalks as Cargo Dragon Launch Nears
The Expedition 68 crew continues gearing up for more spacewalks at the International Space Station before the end of the year. Meanwhile, a U.S. cargo craft is counting down to its launch this week to resupply the seven-member crew living aboard the orbiting lab. Two astronauts and two cosmonauts are preparing for five spacewalks to …
NASA InSight’s Power Level as of Nov. 21, 2022
As of Nov. 21, 2022, InSight is generating an average between 300 and 310 watt-hours of energy per Martian day, or sol. The tau, or level of dust cover in the atmosphere, was estimated at 1.33 (typical tau levels outside of dust season range from 0.6-0.7).
NASA’s S-MODE Mission: “Sea-ing” through Rainbow-Colored Glasses
By Sarah Lang, Ph.D. student at the Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island. // Aboard the Bold Horizon // If you asked a random person about the color of the ocean, they would probably tell you that it's some shade of blue or green. But perhaps that shade of blue looks slightly different …
Orion Successfully Completes Lunar Flyby, Re-acquires Signal With Earth
Orion re-acquired signal with NASA’s Deep Space Network, at 7:59 a.m. EST after successfully performing the outbound powered flyby burn at 7:44 a.m. EST with a firing of the orbital maneuvering system engine for 2 minutes and 30 seconds to accelerate the spacecraft at a rate of more than 580 mph. At the time of …
Artemis I – Flight Day Five: Orion Enters Lunar Sphere of Influence Ahead of Lunar Flyby
Five days into the 25.5-day Artemis I mission, Orion continues on its trajectory toward the Moon. Flight controllers in the White Flight Control Room at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston captured additional imagery of the Moon using the optical navigation camera. Gathering imagery of the Earth and the Moon at different phases and distances …