NASA wraps up moon rocket test; to set launch date after fix
NASA Moon Rocket In this photo provided by NASA, NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion crew capsule are seen on the launch pad at Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Monday, June 20, 2022. NASA fueled the rocket for the first time on Monday and completed a countdown test despite a fuel line leak. (NASA via AP) (Uncredited)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — (AP) — NASA said Thursday it has finished testing its huge moon rocket and will move it back to the launch pad in late August. Earlier this week, NASA fueled the 30-story Space Launch System rocket for the first time and pressed ahead with a critical countdown test despite a fuel line leak. No one will be on board the debut launch that will hurl the Orion crew capsule atop the rocket to the moon and back.
wftv.comVideo: Work continues on new launch site in Florida for SpaceX Starship rockets
Construction continued Tuesday at Kennedy Space Center on a new launch site meant for use with SpaceX’s Starship, a behemoth rocket facing scrutiny due to concern over its sheer size and the potential effect on the surrounding environment.
NASA fuels moon rocket for 1st time in countdown rehearsal
NASA-Moon Rocket This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and and the Orion space capsule on the launch pad at Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Saturday, June 18, 2022. (Maxar Technologies via AP) (Uncredited)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — (AP) — NASA fueled its huge moon rocket for the first time Monday and went ahead with a critical countdown test despite a fuel line leak. This was NASA’s fourth crack at the all-important dress rehearsal, the last major milestone before the moon rocket’s long-awaited launch debut. But NASA managers decided to do the countdown test anyway. Earlier, nearly 1 million gallons of super-cold liquid hydrogen and oxygen were loaded into the 322-foot (98-meter) rocket known as the Space Launch System, or SLS.
wftv.comSpaceX to launch another batch of Starlink satellites Friday
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — A Falcon 9 rocket carrying a batch of 53 Starlink satellites is now set to lift off from Kennedy Space Center on Friday afternoon. Targeting Friday, June 17 for a Falcon 9 launch of 53 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from LC-39A in Florida → https://t.co/FHNtCC2xqJ — SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 15, 2022This is the 12th launch of this particular first-stage booster, having previously launched GPS III-3, Turksat 5A, Transporter-2 and nine Starlink missions. Read: SpaceX launches GPS satellites for US Space ForceAfter the launch, Falcon 9′s first stage will land on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship stationed off the Florida coast. WATCH: SpaceX successfully launches first rocket of 2021 from Central Florida’s Space CoastThe launch window opens at 12:08 p.m. Read: Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex lands at Kennedy Space Center Visitor ComplexYou can watch the launch as it happens here and on Channel 9 Eyewitness News at noon.
wftv.comSPACEX prepares to launch 53 Starlink satellites Friday
SpaceX to launch another round of Starlink satellites Friday (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 53 Starlink satellites is set to launch on Friday. This launch will blast off from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center. Targeting Friday, June 17 for a Falcon 9 launch of 53 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from LC-39A in Florida → https://t.co/FHNtCC2xqJ — SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 15, 2022The instantaneous launch window is scheduled for 12:08 p.m. Eastern Time. Read: Kennedy Space Center celebrates 60-year legacy while looking to the futureThe first stage booster for this mission also supported the previously launched GPS III-3, Turksat 5A, Transporter-2 and nine Starlink missions. Read: Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex announces new ticket pricing, multiday optionsClick here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
wftv.comAfter 60 years Kennedy Space Center once again to play key role in American space program
NASA Kennedy Space Center 60th Anniversary SpaceX’s Axiom-1 is in the foreground on Launch Pad 39A with NASA’s Artemis I in the background on Launch Pad 39B on April 6, 2022. (NASA/Jamie Peer/NASA)BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — For nearly 60 years, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center has played a key role in America’s space program. Now, as NASA’s new moon rocket and Orion spacecraft sit on launchpad 39B, the Space Center will play a crucial role in America’s return to the moon. READ: Kennedy Space Center to open ‘Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex’ this summerOfficials said the next logical step is to learn to live on the moon and apply the lessons learned for NASA’s mission to Mars. The rover is part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program, a long-term effort of robotic exploration of the Red Planet.
wftv.com🚀SNEAK PEEK: KSC’s new Gateway attraction launching guests into new worlds
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex's Gateway: Deep Space Launch Complex attraction is like a warehouse full of current and futuristic space vehicles and technology. With interactive games and objectives to demonstrate how it all works.
NASA launches study of UFOs despite 'reputational risk'
(AP Photo/John Raoux, File) (John Raoux)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — (AP) — NASA is launching a study of UFOs as part of a new push toward high-risk, high-impact science. “We are not shying away from reputational risk,” Zurbuchen said during a National Academy of Sciences webcast. NASA said the team will be led by astrophysicist David Spergel, president of the Simons Foundation for advancing scientific research. In a news conference, Spergel said the only preconceived notion going into the study is that the UAPs will likely have multiple explanations. ___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education.
wftv.comAstra Space aims to launch NASA science mission from Kennedy Space Center this weekend
Video: Astra Space aims to launch NASA science mission from Kennedy Space Center this weekend Florida’s Space Coast could see its next rocket launch this Sunday, and it's an Earth science mission for NASA. (WFTV)KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — Florida’s Space Coast could see its next rocket launch this Sunday, and it’s an Earth science mission for NASA. READ: NASA to launch study on UFOsIt’s set to be launched by Astra Space, a startup rocket company whose last mission from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station failed. After a successful static fire test last week, Astra Space expects to launch its next mission this weekend, pending approval of an FAA launch license. Photos: Astra Space aims to launch NASA science mission from Kennedy Space Center this weekendExpand Autoplay Image 1 of 10 Astra Space aims to launch NASA science mission from Kennedy Space Center this weekend“NASA needs to do this,” said Ken Kremer with Space UpClose.
wftv.comSpaceX set to launch 25th resupply mission from Florida to International Space Station next week
SpaceX set to launch 25th resupply mission from Florida to International Space Station next weekKENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — SpaceX is planning to launch a rocket to resupply the International Space Station next week. WATCH: SpaceX safely returns Crew-3 astronauts off Florida’s coastThe rocket launch company is looking to blast off from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station around 10:22 a.m. next Friday. The mission will be the 25th resupply mission for SpaceX contracted through NASA to launch cargo to the space station. READ: Kennedy Space Center to open ‘Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex’ this summerSpaceX will send the cargo inside of a Dragon spacecraft atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A. WATCH: Launch, land, repeat: SpaceX ends busy week with Starlink launch at KSCChannel 9 will have live coverage of the launch when it happens on Eyewitness News.
wftv.comSpaceX satellite launch: 10 stunning photos captured by skygazers
SpaceX: What you need to know (NCD)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying more than 50 Starlink satellites early Wednesday from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center, according to WFTV. >> Read more trending newsSkygazers took to social media to share photos of the launch with the hashtags #SpaceX and #SpaceXLaunch. #SpaceX #Starlink 4-18 launch this morning. B1052 makes its 5th flight, & 3rd as a stand along Falcon 9 as it flew as a side booster on 2 FH launches. (Photo by SpaceX via Getty Images) (Handout/Getty Images)©2022 Cox Media Group
wftv.comSpaceX set for Falcon 9 rocket launch Saturday at Kennedy Space Center
Video: SpaceX set for Falcon 9 rocket launch Saturday at Kennedy Space Center SpaceX is planning to launch a Falcon 9 rocket to carry another batch of Starlink satellites into orbit. (WFTV)KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — People in Central Florida will have a chance to watch a rocket launch Saturday from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. WATCH: SpaceX safely returns Crew-3 astronauts off Florida’s coastSpaceX is planning to launch a Falcon 9 rocket to carry another batch of Starlink satellites into orbit. The launch is set for 4:40 p.m.After the launch, the first stage of the rocket is set to launch on SpaceX’s Just Read the Instructions droneship in the Atlantic Ocean. READ: United Arab Emirates astronaut to join NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission to space stationIf the launch does not happen Saturday, a backup opportunity is available on Sunday at 4:12 p.m.
wftv.comHappening this morning: SpaceX to launch batch of Starlink satellites from Space Coast
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — SpaceX is gearing up to launch another batch of Starlink communications satellites into orbit from the Space Coast. A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 53 more satellites into low-earth orbit is expected to launch from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center early Friday. The launch window opens at 5:42 a.m. A backup window is available Saturday at 5:20 a.m. A live broadcast of the launch is available online, starting 15 minutes before liftoff. You can also watch the launch on Eyewitness News This Morning and online.
wftv.comNew land speed record set by autonomous Indy race car at Kennedy Space Center
VIDEO: New land speed record set by autonomous Indy racecar at Kennedy Space Center VIDEO: New land speed record set by autonomous Indy racecar at Kennedy Space Center (WFTV)KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — A team of engineers and programmers set a new autonomous land speed record at Kennedy Space Center, reaching a speed of nearly 200 miles per hour. The Indy Autonomous Challenge is an effort that challenges university students around the world to imagine and invent a new generation of automated vehicle software to run fully autonomous race cars. Last week, team PoliMOVE from Politecnico di Milano (Italy) and the University of Alabama (USA), set a new land speed world record of 192.2 miles per hour at Space Florida’s Launch and Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center. Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 22 Indy Autonomous Challenge (Indy Autonomous Challenge)“The Autonomous Challenge at CES in January pushed our racecars to their limits and maxed out what was possible at the time,” said Paul Mitchell, president, Indy Autonomous Challenge. “We were running a car operating on algorithms alone, where precision is paramount, and any small prediction error could have created a completely different outcome.
wftv.comLaunch, land, repeat: SpaceX ends busy week with Starlink launch at KSC
Video: Launch, land, repeat: SpaceX ends busy week with Starlink launch at KSC Things have been busy for SpaceX this week on Florida’s Space Coast. (WFTV)KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — Things have been busy for SpaceX this week on Florida’s Space Coast. Then, Wednesday, SpaceX launched Crew-4 to the ISS. (Photo by SpaceX via Getty Images) (Handout/Getty Images)On Friday, SpaceX is launching 53 Starlink satellites into orbit. The first stage of the Falcon 9 booster for Friday’s mission is the same one that launched the Axiom Mission One, three weeks ago.
wftv.comSpaceX launches 4 astronauts for NASA after private flight
(AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) (Chris O'Meara)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — (AP) — SpaceX launched four astronauts to the International Space Station for NASA on Wednesday, less than two days after completing a flight chartered by millionaires. It’s the first NASA crew comprised equally of men and women, including the first Black woman making a long-term spaceflight, Jessica Watkins. The astronauts were due to arrive at the space station Wednesday night, 16 hours after their predawn liftoff from Kennedy Space Center. The private mission that concluded Monday encountered no major problems, they said, although high wind delayed the splashdown for a week. It is an international laboratory, and they absolutely understood and respected that purpose,” said NASA flight director Zeb Scoville.
wftv.comHappening overnight: Crew-4 mission set to launch from Space Coast
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Those who will be up late Tuesday night (or rather, early Wednesday) will want to look up to the Central Florida skies. RED: NASA & SpaceX: Crew-4 mission is a ‘go’ for launchThe Crew-4 mission is set to lift off at 3:52 a.m. from Launch Pad 39-A from Kennedy Space Center. The Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon Freedom are already sitting on the launchpad, ready to transport the four astronauts to the International Space Station. Read: Following successful Axiom splashdown, officials turn to launching Crew-4 missionNASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, Jessica Watkins, along with European astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, were quarantined ahead of their scheduled launch. READ: Moon rocket to return to VAB for repairs ahead of ‘wet dress rehearsal’The four astronauts of #Crew4 are set to launch to our orbiting laboratory on April 27 at 3:52am ET (7:52 UTC).
wftv.comNASA’s moon rocket set to return to VAB for repairs, in preparation for ‘wet dress rehearsal’
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — NASA’s Artemis I Moon rocket is set to make its way back to the Vehicle Assembly Building to begin repairs in preparation for next week’s wet dress rehearsal. At 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Artemis I is scheduled to leave launch pad 39B and begin its 4-mile journey atop the crawler-transporter back to the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. After returning to the VAB, teams will replace a faulty upper stage check valve and a small leak within the tail service mast umbilical ground plate housing on the mobile launcher. The supplier for the gaseous nitrogen will also upgrade its pipeline configuration to support Artemis I testing and launch. Read: 14-year-old, 16-year-old killed in crash in Osceola County after car hits tree, troopers sayNext week’s test, known as the “wet dress rehearsal,” will run the Artemis I launch team through a variety of tests, including a full launch countdown and other procedures the team will use for launch.
wftv.comAxiom-1 departure from space station delayed until Sunday over high winds
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — The return of the first all-private crewed mission to the International Space Station, Axiom-1, has been delayed by 24 hours. NASA officials announced Saturday that Axiom-1 is now set to departure from ISS Sunday at 8:55 p.m. @NASA, @SpaceX, and @Axiom_Space teams waved off today's undocking of Axiom Mission 1 (#Ax1). https://t.co/W0Ps1FWntl — International Space Station (@Space_Station) April 23, 2022Axiom-1 was previously set to leave the ISS Saturday night. Original report:The crew of the first all-private mission to the International Space Station will start their trip back to Earth on Saturday.
wftv.comAxiom-1, first all-private crew, set to return to Earth this weekend after historic mission to ISS
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — The crew of the first all-private mission to the International Space Station will start their trip back to Earth on Saturday. READ: NASA moon rocket faces more flight delays as repairs mountThe Axiom Mission 1 is set to undock and depart from the ISS at 8:35 p.m. The crew will then de-orbit their spacecraft for a splash-down landing off the coast of Florida around 1:46 p.m. on Sunday. Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 8 Axiom-1 becomes first all-private crewed mission to dock with ISSThe Axiom crew was originally supposed to undock on Tuesday, but rough weather conditions delayed their departure. WATCH: Unfavorable weather delays Axiom-1 splashdownThe earliest launch date for that Crew-4 mission is at 4:15 a.m. Tuesday.
wftv.comNASA moon rocket faces more flight delays as repairs mount
NASA Moon Rocket FILE - The NASA Artemis rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard leaves the Vehicle Assembly Building moving slowly on an 11-hour journey to pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Thursday, March 17, 2022. The flight debut of NASA's new mega moon rocket faces additional delays, following a series of failed fueling tests, officials said Monday, April 18, 2022. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File) (John Raoux)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — (AP) — The flight debut of NASA’s mega moon rocket faces additional delays following a string of failed fueling tests. The next opportunity to send an empty capsule to the moon on a test flight would be at the end of June or July. The 30-story Space Launch System rocket has been on the pad at Kennedy Space Center for the past month.
wftv.comCrew-4 astronauts arrive at Kennedy Space Center ahead of scheduled weekend launch
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — NASA’s Crew-4 astronauts have arrived at the Kennedy Space Center ahead of their long-duration science mission to the International Space Station. The crew is scheduled to lift off as soon as Saturday morning from Pad 39-A at the Kennedy Space Center. Here’s when to look up nowNow the crew can begin its final preparations for the launch. Overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, the crew will take part in a dry dress rehearsal ahead of the launch. They are set to lift off atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 on a brand-new Crew Dragon named Freedom as soon as 5:26 p.m. Saturday.
wftv.comNASA’s SLS rocket to move back to VAB for repairs after liquid hydrogen leak discovered
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — NASA said its Space Launch System rocket will be moved off its launchpad after several technical issues. WATCH: Small valve problem forces NASA to modify critical flight test for Artemis IThe moon rocket will now be heading back into the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center for repairs. The announcement comes after crews found a liquid hydrogen leak during a “wet dress rehearsal” of the SLS rocket last week. Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 13 NASA crews move forward with last major tests of SLS rocket at Kennedy Space CenterThe rocket and Orion spacecraft are part of NASA’s Artemis I moon mission. READ: ‘Larger than Rhode Island’: Astronomers identify largest comet ever seen from EarthThe agency was planning to launch the rocket in June.
wftv.comAt 3 p.m.: NASA officials to discuss technical issues with SLS rocket
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — We’re waiting to see how some testing issues could impact the launch of NASA’s next moon mission. WATCH: Artemis 1: Spacecraft to take Americans back to the moon makes it to the launchpadTeams at Kennedy Space Center have been testing the Space Launch System rocket for the Artemis I mission overt the past few days. However, crews found a liquid hydrogen leak during the testing Thursday on the base of the mobile launcher. WATCH: NASA looks ahead to more trips to the moon beyond Artemis IOfficials said the leak was discovered around 5 p.m. on the tail service mast umbilical, which is located at the base of the mobile launcher and connects to the rocket’s core stage. ©2022 Cox Media Group
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