HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT

Follow live updates from Kennedy Space Center and along the Space Coast.

While the countdown and launch Wednesday may look a little similar to the recent SpaceX launches with NASA astronauts there are several differences.

Usually, when NASA launches a spacecraft to the International Space Station, the launch window is instantaneous. If the weather or anything else isn’t good right at that very second, it doesn’t go.

This is the moment private companies like SpaceX have been working toward for nearly two decades.

The eclectic crew will become the first non-professional astronauts to orbit the planet.

SpaceX will attempt to launch four civilians from KSC after 8:02 p.m. Wednesday.

Four non-professional astronauts arrived in Kennedy Space Center Thursday ahead of their SpaceX rocket launch next week, which will mark the first time a human spaceflight from Florida will not have a single NASA astronaut onboard.

He wanted to be part of the crew but as the official mission photographer, he still feels like he's also going to space.

NASA is delaying a spacewalk at the International Space Station this week because of an undisclosed medical issue involving one of its astronauts.

The first piece of hardware of the first rocket to fly humans around the moon in decades arrived in Florida this week.

Blue Origin is escalating its fight over NASA’s decision to award SpaceX a multibillion-dollar lunar contract.

The new audit found that spending on spacesuit development has more than doubled, however, the agency is nowhere near a final product ready for flight.

Boeing is assessing multiple launch dates in August to try again and send its Starliner spacecraft on a test spaceflight to the ISS.

Virgin Galactic is riding the publicity wave from its most recent flight sending Billionaire Richard Branson to space.

Moonwalkers of the Artemis generation are going to need some new gear and very soon if NASA plans to achieve its goal.

Teams at NASA and Boeing are still determining if they will try and launch the uncrewed Starliner spacecraft Wednesday.

After nearly two years, Boeing will have to wait a little longer to redo its test flight to the International Space Station with its Starliner spacecraft.

The liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is now scheduled for Tuesday at 1:20 p.m. during an instantaneous launch window.

The engines began unexpectedly firing, moving the station about 45 degrees, according to NASA.

Boeing will once again attempt to test the capabilities of its Starliner spacecraft.

Almost two years after it failed to reach the space station, this could be the month Boeing's Starliner crew capsule paves the way toward helping more astronauts launch from Florida.

Blue Origin shared a video of the weightless experience showing the four crew floating about the spacecraft and rejoicing at the views of Earth from the large windows.

For years, the official letterhead for the small town of Van Horn read simply: “Farming, ranching, mining.”.

After a historic career, astronaut Doug Hurley retired from NASA Friday.

Pioneering spacefarer John Herschel Glenn Jr. would have turned 100 on July 18, 2021.

Ten years since the final launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis, three of her final astronaut crewmembers looked back and looked forward Thursday at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

Wally Funk has waited decades to fly in space now she will get her chance flying with Blue Origin.

Space Perspective is offering travelers a relaxed ascent to space on a six-hour trip promising amazing views of Earth in a luxury environment.

Three Chinese astronauts have begun making China's new space station their home for the next three months.

Astronauts Thomas Pesquet and Shane Kimbrough will be spacewalking to install the arrays Wednesday.

The next four astronauts launching on a long-term mission to the ISS are possibly blasting off on Oct. 31.

The new solar arrays provide 20-30% more power for experiments and ongoing research in space.

A chunk of space trash has left a hole in the Canadarm2 but NASA and CSA mission managers say the arm's functions won't be impacted.

General Motors is teaming up with Lockheed Martin to produce the ultimate off-road, self-driving, electric vehicle _ for the moon.

European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet took a song drop to a new level 200 miles above Earth, helping Cold Play debut its new single this week from his orbiting outpost.

SpaceX sent its gleaming Starship spaceship on a high-flying test above Texas Wednesday evening and unlike the previous flights this one remained in one piece after landing, a big milestone for the private company hoping to send people to the moon for NASA.

Plunging through the Earth’s atmosphere and splashing down by moonlight SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft successfully returned three American and one Japanese astronaut to Earth following six months in space.

The astronauts are set to undock from the ISS Wednesday and splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean or Gulf of Mexico.

The brain behind Tesla and SpaceX gave a dire warning for anyone hoping to be among the first to travel to Mars.

The four Crew-2 astronauts will arrive at the ISS Saturday morning.

Live countdown updates leading to the Crew-2 SpaceX launch.

Each member of the SpaceX Crew-2 mission brings a unique set of skills, interests and favorite foods to the orbiting laboratory.

Choose how you want to watch the Crew-2 launch from Cape Canaveral.

For Space Coast residents able to step outside and watch rockets tear through the sky, spaceflight might seem more routine than ever.

Boeing says it will be ready to fly in May but the launch will depend on scheduling.

Four astronauts are set to arrive at Kennedy Space Center ahead of their launch next week.

NASA has selected SpaceX’s Starship spaceship to be the first company to put astronauts back on the moon under the Artemis program.

Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space 60 years ago.

This move will free up the forward port for Crew Dragon Endeavour to arrive later this month.

At 4:37 p.m. the core stage fired its four engines on the test stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. A previous green run hot fire on Jan. 16 was also supposed to run for eight minutes but barely fired for one minute. Ad[RELATED: What to know about NASA’s final Green Run test of the Artemis rocket]🚀 Today, the @NASA_SLS core stage that will power our @NASAArtemis I mission to the Moon successfully completed its Green Run hot fire test. Here’s a recap: https://t.co/QpYSIQq4ox pic.twitter.com/aLmEkS9pbA — NASA (@NASA) March 18, 2021Engineers had to repeat the test to get more data. The core stage will be refurbished before it’s sent via barge ship down to Florida.

The B-2 Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi with the core stage for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The Space Launch System is NASA’s mega rocket designed to launch astronauts to the moon in the Orion spacecraft and, eventually, on to Mars. | Fla. begins COVID vaccine appointment system]AdThe hot fire is known as a “Green Run” test. This is the eighth and, hopefully, final test in the “Green Run” test series needed to prepare the rocket for launch and really put the pedal to the metal testing its power and capabilities. If the final “Green Run” test goes well, it will complete an important milestone toward launch.

NASA and SpaceX announced Thursday the launch date will move from April 20 to no earlier than Thursday, April 22. Also this week, Boeing and NASA announced they are evaluating a new launch date for the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft’s orbital test flight-2, or OFT-2. “Based on the current traffic at the space station, NASA does not anticipate that OFT-2 can be accomplished later in April. NASA and Boeing are working to find the earliest possible launch date,” the agency said. AdWhen it does launch, Starliner will dock at the ISS and return to Earth for its final test before NASA, hopefully, approves the spacecraft to fly astronauts.

China says a cohort of astronauts have been selected and are in training to carry out four crewed missions this year as the country works to complete its first permanent orbiting space station. (CNSA via AP)BEIJING – China said Thursday a cohort of astronauts is training for four crewed missions this year as the country works to complete its first permanent orbiting space station. Two other modules will be launched later, along with four Tianzhou cargo supply mission and the four Shenzhou crewed missions. CNSA listed 12 astronauts training for the crewed missions, including veterans of previous Shenzhou flights, newcomers and women, though it wasn't clear if there were others selected. Once completed, the permanent space station will allow for stays of up to six months, similar to the International Space Station.

Boeing announced Wednesday the repeat orbital test flight of its CST-100 Starliner spacecraft will be pushed at least one week because of winter storm-related impacts and launch preparations. This will be the second attempt for Boeing’s Starliner OFT after a December 2019 test flight ended early following a computer timing error. More: https://t.co/FbW44dd6ss pic.twitter.com/x9nicAtibN — Boeing Space (@BoeingSpace) February 17, 2021Boeing is now targeting no earlier than April 2. Prior to this flight, Boeing and NASA completed an extensive review of the ill-fated December 2019 orbital test flight, which ended 48 hours after launch. Following a full review of the test, Boeing could fly its first astronaut crew in December, according to NASA’s most recent timeline.

The ESA, NASA's European equivalent, is highlighting diversity in the drive: The final frontier for such predominantly white and male agencies. This year the ESA is looking to recruit more women astronauts, as well as people with disabilities who always dreamed of going into space. (AP Photo/Mikhail Metzel, File)PARIS – The European Space Agency is holding its first astronaut recruitment drive in 11 years and says greater diversity is one of the goals. The European equivalent of NASA is seeking to recruit more women astronauts this year, as well as people with disabilities who have always dreamed of going into space. According to ESA, it’s the first time that a space agency anywhere has opened the application process up to people with disabilities.

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy will launch the lunar Gateway propulsion system and the habitation module, the foundation of the orbiting space outpost, NASA announced Tuesday. AdThe U.S. space agency’s launch services program will manage the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launch on NASA’s end overseeing the build, delivery and launch. NASA has selected Falcon Heavy to launch the first two elements of the lunar Gateway together on one mission! “The Falcon Heavy was chosen probably because the Falcon Heavy is less expensive and the SLS isn’t quite ready yet,” Forczyk said. That element is slated to launch on the second flight of NASA’s Space Launch System, the agency’s Artemis rocket.

SpaceX Starship prototype SN9 performs an aerial flip after Raptor engine shutdown over Boca Chica, Texas on Feb. 2, 2021. The first half of the test flight went well but the spacecraft prototype exploded upon landing. (Image: SpaceX)Following a mostly successful test flight of SpaceX’s Starship over Texas Tuesday the spaceship prototype came back down for a crash landing, similar to another test the company completed last month. Previously, SpaceX performed a Starship flight or hop test on Dec. 9 with a prototype called SN8. The goal was to reach around 50,000 feet, the highest yet for any Starship test flight.

The members of the SpaceX Crew-2 mission to the International Space Station. Picture from left are NASA astronauts Megan McArthur and Shane Kimbrough, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Akihiko Hoshide and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet. The NASA, European Space Agency and Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) crew are slated to launch atop the Falcon 9 rocket from launchpad 39A no earlier than April 20 and travel to the International Space Station, where four other astronauts, who also arrived via SpaceX, will be waiting. The mission known as Crew-2 will include NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide and ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet. Additionally there is another Russian Space Agency Soyuz launch slated for spring with three astronauts headed to the ISS, meaning at some point there could be 11 astronauts on station together at the same time.

In this screen grab from video posted by SpaceX, the company's Starship launches for a test flight, Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020, in a remote area of Texas. (SpaceX via AP)Following a mostly successful test flight of SpaceX’s Starship, the company plans to continue ramping up testing of its interplanetary spaceship into the new year. SpaceX performed its most recent Starship flight or hop test on Dec. 9 with a prototype called SN8. The goal was to reach around 50,000 feet, the highest yet for any Starship test flight. !”Ahead of the test flight, Musk said there was “probably 1/3 chance of completing all mission objectives.”Another prototype, SN9, is next up for a test flight.

Image credit: AxiomCAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A group of uber-rich international businessmen will fly in a SpaceX Crew Dragon to the International Space Station, launching from Florida within a year, Axiom Space revealed Tuesday. SpaceX made history last year, becoming the first private company to fly NASA astronauts to the space station, returning human spaceflight operations from Florida’s Space Coast. The company said in a tweet, “We are in conversation with numerous private astronaut prospects of all backgrounds at all times. In addition to private spaceflight for paying customers, Axiom plans to build a private space station that will first be attached to the current International Space Station. Nearly one year ago, NASA revealed Axiom Space had been awarded access to the space station’s Node 2 Forward port to begin building its commercial space station.

In December, Boeing officials said they were targeting March 29 but now the company is planning to repeat the orbital flight test on March 25. Additionally, a March 25 launch would mean there is room for Starliner to dock at the space station. Boeing teams recently mated Starliner’s crew module on the spacecraft service module at Kennedy Space Center. “Teams conducted a full software review and several series of tests to verify Starliner’s software meets design specifications,” the company said in a news release. Following a full review of the test, Boeing could fly its first astronaut crew in December, according to NASA’s most recent timeline.

NASA’s rocket charged with taking the agency back to the moon fired its four main engines Saturday afternoon, but the test in Mississippi was cut short after a malfunction caused an automatic abort, News 6 partner Florida Today reports. The 212-foot Space Launch System core stage fired its four RS-25 main engines at Stennis Space Center just before 5:30 p.m. Eastern time, sending a plume of exhaust towering above the B-1/B-2 test stand. “Still have four good engines, right?”The engines fired for 12 more seconds after the exchange before an automatic, computer-controlled shutdown was called. Once complete, the core stage will be loaded onto a barge and shipped from Mississippi to a dock near the Vehicle Assembly Building at KSC. The Boeing-built core stage, under development for nearly a decade, uses previously flown space shuttle main engines.

Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket and capsule launch from the company's west Texas launch site on Jan. 14, 2021 marking the 14th suborbital flight for the company. (Image: Blue Origin)Blue Origin says it’s nearing its first human spaceflight with the company’s upcoming test flight from West Texas on Thursday. “We’re getting really close to flying humans, we’re getting there,” Blue Origin director of astronaut and orbital sales Ariane Cornwell said after the launch. While no humans were onboard the capsule, the company’s test dummy, Mannequin Skywalker will be in one of the six astronaut seats. Blue Origin is also developing a much larger heavy lift rocket called New Glenn that will launch from Cape Canaveral.

Pence announced the names of the first astronauts cadre to train for the next missions to the lunar surface under NASA’s Artemis program. Many of the astronauts already have spaceflight experience while for others a mission to the moon could be their first journey into space. Among those selected is astronaut Victor Glover and Kate Rubins, both who are currently on the International Space Station. Meet the following astronauts:Joe Acaba, astronaut class 2004Kayla Barron, astronaut class 2017Raja Chari, astronaut class 2017Matthew Dominick, astronaut class 2017Victor Glover, astronaut class 2013Warren Hoburg, astronaut class 2017Jonny Kim, astronaut class 2017Christina Koch, astronaut class 2013Kjell Lindgren, astronaut class 2009Nicole Mann, astronaut class 2013Anne McCLain, astronaut class 2013Jessica Meir, astronaut class 2013Jasmine Moghbeli, astronaut class 2017Kate Rubins, astronaut class 2009Frank Rubio, astronaut class 2017Scott Tingle, astronaut class 2009Jessica Watkins, astronaut class 2017Stephanie Wilson, astronaut class 1996You can read their biographies here. In addition to naming the first Artemis astronauts, Pence revealed a new space policy from the White House and officially renamed Patrick Air Force Base as Patrick Space Force Base.

One of the many research experiments headed to the laboratory on ISS is led by University of Florida and AdventHealth to study how muscle cells respond to zero-gravity. Dr. Paul Coen, an associate investigator with AdventHealth, said the research group has been developing “lab on a chip” technology to grow and study muscle cells in space. This shoebox-sized laboratory contains muscle cells as part of research from UF and AdventHealth headed to the ISS for a month-long stay. The Nanoracks Bishop Airlock can be attached to Module 3 and opened to space to release satellites and run experiments. Parts of the Bishop Airlock include storage where experiments can be placed outside, exposing them to the vacuum of space.

A recently discovered fault in the agency’s Orion capsule has engineers troubleshooting solutions that could impact the timing of its test flight, currently scheduled for liftoff from Kennedy Space Center next November. Though the PDU itself still works, what is essentially part of its backup system is out of the picture. The three-week test will see the 16-foot-diameter capsule launch on SLS, orbit the moon for six days, then return for splashdown off the California coast. In its July report, the OIG said continuing to produce Orion capsules for all Artemis missions before certain milestones are complete, like Artemis I, poses serious risks. Last month’s discovery of the PDU issue appears to reinforce their position.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. – After a flawless launch from Kennedy Space Center sending four astronauts into orbit, private company SpaceX reported issues with the Crew Dragon spacecraft as it began its 27-hour journey to the space station. SpaceX launches astronauts for NASA and its international partners under the agency’s commercial crew program. SpaceX launches 4 astronauts on 6-month journey in space | Highlights from the SpaceX Crew-1 countdown, liftoff and Falcon 9 landing]“Teams are troubleshooting propellant heaters that heat the fuel aboard Crew Dragon,” NASA said in a tweet. A short while later, teams re-enabled the Crew Dragon’s propellant heaters and worked with the astronauts to correct the issue. Teams have re-enabled the Crew Dragon's propellant heaters and will continue collecting data.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. – Following the tradition of bringing a “gravity indicator” on their spaceflight to the International Space Station, the Crew-1 astronauts selected Baby Yoda for their journey in the SpaceX Dragon capsule. The four astronauts launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 in the Crew Dragon capsule called Resilience from Kennedy Space Center in Florida Sunday evening. On the first Crew Dragon flight to the space station without astronauts SpaceX sent an Earth-shaped stuffed animal called Earthy. Baby Yoda is already on a current wave of popularity but a visit to the International Space Station probably won’t hurt. Baby Yoda from the Disney+ show "Mandalorian" seen floating in the Crew Dragon spacecraft on Nov. 15, 2020.

Launch crew will arrive on console and the Dragon spacecraft will be configured for launch. 4:52 p.m. SpaceX teams will help the astronauts get into the Crew Dragon spacecraft and into their seats. The Dragon spacecraft launch escape system is armed. 7:26:30 p.m. SpaceX Launch Director verifies go for launch. 7:39 p.m. (+00:12:00 after liftoff): The Dragon spacecraft will separate from the rocket’s second stage 12 minutes after launch.

Another milestone for SpaceX was also announced Tuesday as NASA has officially given the Crew Dragon spacecraft human flight certification. I’m extremely proud to say we are returning regular human spaceflight launches to American soil on an American rocket and spacecraft. A test flight in May with two NASA astronauts to the space station marked the first astronaut launch from Florida since 2011. DRAGON GETS FINAL NASA APPROVALSpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft for the Crew-1 mission arrives at Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39A on Friday, Nov. 6, 2020. In addition to now flying astronauts, SpaceX has been making supply runs to the ISS for NASA for seven years.

The lunar Gateway -- a small space station around the moon-- is a key part of NASA’s Artemis program that will provide a location for spacecraft to deploy down to the surface of the moon with astronauts. | Shaq’s mansion discounted by $3M]NASA’s OIG is an independent organization and is performing several audits of the Artemis program. On Tuesday, the OIG released the first in a series examining the Gateway schedule, funding, costs, contract negotiations and technical risks. The PPE is at least 17 months behind its original completion date of December 2022 and HALO is two to five months behind schedule, according to the OIG report. With both of these elements needed for Gateway, the orbiting space station will likely not be in place for the first 2024 astronaut lunar landing.

[LISTEN: Space Curious: The origin story of the International Space Station | SUBMIT A QUESTION: Are you Space Curious? Here are some of the most surprising facts about living in space:There are plenty of food optionsSpace food. (Image: NASA Earth Observatory) (WKMG)Do you think your sunset pic game is strong? According to NASA, astronauts grow up to 3% taller while living in microgravity because their spines elongate. Because astronauts are in a weightless environment, they can easily lift hundreds of pounds in space, according to Business Insider.

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to eat like an astronaut living and working in space? Three American astronauts and one Japanese astronaut will liftoff in SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft on Saturday from Kennedy Space Center. [MORE SPACE NEWS: Out of this world ways astronauts celebrate holidays in space | NASA certifies SpaceX’s Dragon ahead of astronaut launch this weekend]Food is also securely packaged to prevent food from floating around the station. The list below shows a standard menu for the International Space Station. The image below shows a standard menu for the International Space Station.

The first astronaut launch from American soil happened earlier this summer despite the afternoon storms Florida is known for -- including a tornado warning -- and this time around as SpaceX prepares to launch its second-ever group of astronauts to the space station, launch teams are up against Tropical Storm Eta. [ MORE COVERAGE : Dragon riders: Meet the next astronauts to launch from Florida with SpaceX | SpaceX launches astronauts into orbit, returning human spaceflight to Florida]SpaceX launches astronauts for NASA and its international partners, under the commercial crew program, using its Falcon 9 rocket and the Crew Dragon spacecraft. The astronaut crew have named this space vehicle Resilience, fitting for the trying times amid a global pandemic. pic.twitter.com/CduCZrsJPr — Troy Bridges (@TroyNews6) November 9, 2020Brevard County, home to KSC, remains in the cone of uncertainty for Tropical Storm Eta, which is near the Florida Keys Monday and forecast to continue meandering in the eastern Gulf of Mexico through Friday. When the four astronauts do launch, they will travel to the International Space Station and spend up to six months living and working in space.

(NASA via AP)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The International Space Station was a cramped, humid, puny three rooms when the first crew moved in. Two days later, they swung open the space station doors, clasping their hands in unity. With its first piece launched in 1998, the International Space Station already has logged 22 years in orbit. Astronauts spend most of their six-month stints these days keeping the space station running and performing science experiments. “If you look at the space station program today, it’s a blueprint on how to do it.

The second-ever crewed launch of the private spacecraft will mark the first operation mission to the International Space Station for Dragon. NASA Astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken launched on the first Dragon test flight with astronauts to the space station in May and successfully splashed down in August, becoming the first Dragon riders and NASA astronauts to launch from American soil since 2011. Meet the international crew set to become the second round of Dragon riders below:Mike Hopkins, Dragon commanderIn October 2013, aboard International Space Station Expedition 37 Flight Engineer Michael Hopkins prepares the Fluids Integrated Rack for an experiment. “I think you, if you want to be a leader in space, we need to be able to launch our own astronauts into space,” Hopkins said. Victor Glover, Dragon pilotNASA Astronaut Victor Glover during EVA training in 2014.

Astronauts living on the International Space Station used a creative tool to trace the elusive leak on the orbiting laboratory: tea leaves, according to Russian News Agency TASS. NASA and the Russian Space Agency, Roscosmos, have been tracking a slow leak on the space station for more than a year, but its cause and location eluded the space agencies until recently. In September, the astronauts on the ISS were able to trace the leak to Zvezda, the Russian segment of the Space Station. “Russian crew members were able to temporarily seal the air leak teams have been investigating aboard the station,” a NASA Johnson Space Center spokesperson said. It’s unclear what caused the leak, but it’s not the first time a part of the space station or a spacecraft has suffered damage.

In this image made from video footage released by Roscosmos Space Agency, the Soyuz-2.1a rocket booster with the Soyuz MS-17 space ship carrying a new crew to the International Space Station (ISS), blasts off at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020. (Roscosmos Space Agency via AP)MOSCOW – A trio of space travelers blasted off to the International Space Station on Wednesday, using for the first time a fast-track maneuver that allowed them to reach the orbiting outpost in just a little over three hours. NASA’s Kate Rubins along with Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov of the Russian space agency Roscosmos lifted off as scheduled Wednesday morning from the Russia-leased Baikonur space launch facility in Kazakhstan for a six-month stint on the station. For the first time, they tried a two-orbit approach and docked with the space station in just a little over three hours after lift-off. Ryzhikov, who will be the station’s skipper, said the crew will try to pinpoint the exact location of a leak at a station’s Russian section that has slowly leaked oxygen.

NASA announced on Saturday that the launch of it’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission to the International Space Station has been delayed until mid-November. The crew of Shannon Walker, Victor Glover, Michael Hopkins and Soichi Noguchi were supposed to launch from Cape Canaveral on Oct. 31, but the launch was delayed to allow for additional hardware testing and data reviews, NASA announced. The crew will work on science missions and conduct spacewalks for six months once it arrives at the International Space Station.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. – Chris Ferguson, a former NASA astronaut, will no longer pilot the first crewed flight of the Boeing’s astronaut Starliner spacecraft, he announced Tuesday. Later that year, Ferguson joined Boeing’s executive team developing the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Breaking: Butch Wilmore to fly on the Boeing Starliner crew flight test alongside NASA Astronauts Nicole Mann (@AstroDuke) and Mike Fincke (@AstroIronMike). This marks the second crew change for the Starliner test flight. Boeing still has to repeat its uncrewed test flight to and from the space station before it can fly astronauts.

Their journey was also a reminder of the human side of space exploration, both of the veteran astronauts are married to fellow astronauts and have young sons. To ask the question about why we want to know about the little oddities of space life, Space Curious host Emilee Speck spoke to Koren and WMFE space reporter Brendan Byrne, along with retired NASA astronaut Terry Virts. All NASA astronauts go through public engagement and media training. “It also helps that we just have more access to them... they’re online, they’re tweeting, they’re posting on Instagram. Hosted by WKMG space reporter Emilee Speck, each episode is designed to inspire everyone, from the space curious to the space fanatics.

Rubins and two Russian cosmonauts are preparing for a mid-October launch to the International Space Station, where shell spend the next six months. Rubins is just outside Moscow in Star City, Russia, preparing with two cosmonauts for a mid-October launch and a six-month stay at the International Space Station. Mission Control forwards the ballot to the space station and relays the completed ballot back to the county clerk. Rubins and Shane Kimbrough cast their votes from the International Space Station. Rubins, the first person to sequence DNA in space, plans to work on a cardiovascular experiment and conduct research using the space station’s Cold Atom Lab.

NASA and the Russian Space Agency Roscosmos are still working to determine what is causing a small air leak on the International Space Station, the source of which has so far evaded detection. This will be the second time the astronauts will isolate in an effort to trace the air leak. Both Moscow and Houston Mission Control Centers have been tracking a tiny air leak for several months. For the past two days, Cassidy and Ivanishin have been inspecting all of the window seals on the space station using an ultrasonic leak detector. Next month, NASA and its international partners will celebrate 20 years of astronauts permanently living on the space station.

It’s a home makeover but 200 miles above Earth: The next resupply delivery mission to the International Space Station will include a new re-designed commode for the astronauts. “What we try to do aboard the space station is mimic elements of Earth’s natural water cycle to reclaim water from the air. The new toilet will have a fan that helps pull urine and feces away from the body because, without gravity, humans need a little help. So this dual-fan separator actually creates the motive force by creating a strong airflow that helps pull the urine and feces away from the body. It’s been a while since the space station got a full bathroom upgrade.

ORLANDO, Fla. – The International Space Station made a space debris shuffle Tuesday evening to avoid getting smacked by one of the millions of pieces of space junk in low-Earth orbit. This wasn’t the first or the last time the ISS will move to avoid space debris. Time for Congress to provide @CommerceGov with the $15 mil requested by @POTUS for the Office of Space Commerce. Time for Congress to provide the U.S. Commerce Department with the $15 million requested by POTUS for the Office of Space Commerce,” Bridenstine said in a tweet Tuesday. The mot recent episode of WKMG’s podcast Space Curious offered a look at the problem space junk creates and what’s being done about it, click here to read more and listen to the full episode below.

The entire series will be an international search for the first elected space explorer to fly to the International Space Station. How the chosen citizen astronaut will get to the space station is yet to be determined, according to Axiom, the private space company partnering with Space Hero to train the astronauts and get them into orbit. The show also doesn’t have a home yet, Space Hero is seeking a network or distribution partner to air the first space reality show. To apply, interested space travelers can download the free Space Hero app to start the process. Axiom has not announced if SpaceX will launch the Space Hero contestant winner.

NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps will launch on the first operational mission of Boeings Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station, joining her fellow NASA crew members Sunita Suni Williams and Josh Cassada, the space agency revealed this week. Boeing is still working to certify its astronaut capsule to fly humans as part of NASA Commercial Crew Program. Epps will be part of the second astronaut flight for Starliner. Williams is a veteran astronaut who flew on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft and during the Space Shuttle Program. Outside of being a NASA astronaut, Epps has an impressive background.

NASA Astronaut Chris Cassidy will hang out with his Russian counterparts on their end of the International Space Station this weekend to allow NASA to run tests on a small leak first detected almost one year ago. The U.S. space agency announced the space station shuffle Thursday in a news release. Cassidy and Russian cosmonauts Ivan Vagner and Anatoly Ivanishin are not in any danger, NASA assured, and will have plenty of room in the Russian module. The International Space Station (Image credit: NASA) (WKMG 2020)With this weekend’s test, NASA officials hope to determine which module is experiencing a higher-than-normal leak rate and have preliminary results by the end of next week. In October, SpaceX will send up three NASA astronauts and a Japanese astronaut in the first operational mission for the Crew Dragon spacecraft.

This week, a team led by Blue Origin developing a human lunar lander dropped off its mockup, under development at NASAs Johnson Space Center, giving the astronaut corps a chance train with the mooncraft for the six months or more. The National Team, which includes Blue Origin, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Draper, was selected by the U.S. space agency in April to design a human-rated moon lander. SpaceX and Dynetics were also awarded contracts to build human moon landing spacecraft. Blue Origin said in a news release Thursday the National Team delivered an engineering mockup to the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at Johnson Space Center. All the missions will liftoff from either NASAs Kennedy Space Center or Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken will talk about their historic return home from the International Space Station on Tuesday for the first time since their SpaceX spacecraft splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico over the weekend. Hurley and Behnken launched on the SpaceX Dragon capsule, nicknamed Endeavour, from Kennedy Space Center on May 30, arriving on the International Space Station the next day. After more than two months in space, the duo journeyed back to Earth in the SpaceX spacecraft in about 19 hours. It was the first spacecraft splashdown in 45 years. The launch, docking and splashdown marked the final test flight for SpaceXs astronaut capsule before NASA can issue a certification for regular flights for its astronauts.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. The SpaceX spacecraft that made history after successfully completing its first flight with two NASA astronauts is not done yet, it will be refurbished and reflown again. NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken arrived safely home Sunday in their Dragon spacecraft nicknamed Endeavour, splashing down off Floridas west coast in the first splashdown since the Apollo program. The Crew Dragon spacecraft was designed to fly on five to 10 missions with maintenance between spaceflights. The next group set to fly on Dragon Endeavour is made up of two NASA astronauts: a Japanese astronaut and a European astronaut. A different Crew Dragon spacecraft is slated to launch four crew -- three Americans and one Japanese astronauts -- in late September.

(Bill Ingalls/NASA via AP)NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken successfully returned to Earth for the first splashdown in 45 years Sunday in their SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft. The splashdown went as planned and landed into calm seas at 2:48 p.m.Welcome back to Earth and thanks for flying SpaceX, mission control told the astronauts. The milestone completed the SpaceX Demo-2 test mission for Dragon, the first test flight with astronauts to the International Space Station. Heres a timeline of the events prior to and after splashdown:1:51 p.m. Crew Dragon performs claw separation. 2:32 p.m. Crew Dragon maneuvers to attitude for re-entry: Dragon experiences significant heating and drag as it re-enters Earths atmosphere, which slows the velocity to the point of safe parachute deploy.

(NASA via AP)Next, if the splashdown and return home happens on time, three NASA astronauts and a Japanese astronaut will launch on another Crew Dragon spacecraft from Kennedy Space Center. Later NASA added two more crew members, NASA astronaut Shannon Walker and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi. [DRAGON COVERAGE: Have what it takes to fly Crew Dragon? This will be known as Crew-2, the second operational mission to the ISS for the SpaceX astronaut spacecraft. She flew on one space shuttle mission, the fifth and final repair mission for the Hubble Space Telescope.

Private space company Virgin Galactic revealed its spaceship cabin design on Tuesday afternoon during a virtual event that was designed to lure more paying customers to want to fly with the company founded by billionaire Richard Branson. Virgin Galactic was founded by Branson with the goal of flying paying customers to the edge of space in the sleek spaceship. Previously, Virgin Galactic partnered with Under Armour and showed the suits off on a zero gravity catwalk, at an indoor skydiving venue. Ive rolled that all into training and into the cabin design, so that it is perfectly tuned, elegant, easy, safe, wonderful, Moses said. London-based design agency, Seymourpowell, led the cabin design project with Virgin Galactic.

To help you keep track of the exciting developments happening in spaceflight, below is a roundup of events, launches and landings any space enthusiast would be excited to follow. Heres when and how to watch all the latest space news this week:NASAs Mars rover launch eventsIn this May 20, 2020 photo made available by NASA/JPL-Caltech, engineers and technicians insert sample tubes into the belly of the Perseverance Mars rover at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA science leaders will discuss how the space agency plans to do this during a sample return briefing. The two astronauts will fly on a SpaceX test flight to the International Space Station. Sunday, Aug. 2Around 1 p.m. NASA and SpaceX will make the final call about Dragons deorbit from space.

NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Chris Cassidy are going back out into the vacuum of space Wednesday to perform more maintenance on the International Space Station. Watch: https://t.co/AcKX8sGOVD https://t.co/AcKX8sGOVD — NASA (@NASA) July 1, 2020During the prior first walk, the astronauts worked ahead of schedule completing some of the tasks planned for Wednesday. Spacewalking astronauts wear a wrist mirror on each sleeve to get better views while working. pic.twitter.com/vaAzbDWalw — NASA (@NASA) July 1, 2020“I just happened to glance down and I saw this reflecting thing disappearing into the darkness, and that was the last I saw of it,” Cassidy said in an interview with The Associated Press. The astronauts will be recognizable in the NASA TV feed by their spacesuits.

Two NASA astronauts did some home maintenance Friday on the orbiting laboratory 200 miles above Earth during a seven-hour spacewalk. Astronauts Bob Behnken and Chris Cassidy ventured out of the International Space Station Friday morning to install batteries outside the station. Once outside, the astronauts began work on one of two power channels on the far starboard truss of the station. https://t.co/SN3Y9zOMwr — NASA (@NASA) June 26, 2020As he stepped out of the ISS, Cassidy lost a small mirror on his spacesuit adding to the millions of pieces of junk orbiting the Earth. While millions of pieces of space debris orbit Earth, more than 20,000 items including old rocket parts and busted satellites are big enough to be tracked in order to safeguard the space station and functional satellites.

Thats right, NASA needs a new space toilet. Lunar toilet design concepts should allow astronauts to urinate and defecate in both microgravity and lunar gravity. First place in the technical category could earn a $20,000 cash prize. The junior category winner will nab a NASA gear, exclusive bragging rights and a mystery prize, according to the rules. The winners for the Technical category will be announced on September 30, and the winners for the Junior category will be announced on October 20.