SPACE NEWS

United Launch Alliance said a flight readiness review shows everything is a go for the launch Friday at 2 p.m. from Space Launch Complex 41.

A large asteroid is set to fly by Earth Tuesday afternoon.

SpaceX launched another batch of Starlink internet satellites Tuesday night after weather conditions forced it to be delayed the previous day.

Weather should be mostly favorable for the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center.

While the Space Coast is familiar with SpaceX and United Launch Alliance, now there’s a new rocket company preparing to blast off at the Cape.

Sonic booms can sound as loud as an explosion, or, more quietly, like a rumble of thunder.

NASA needs to hire more astronauts and change the way it trains them, according to a new report from the space agency’s inspector general reported by News 6 partner Florida Today.

SpaceX is set to host its next Space Coast launch Thursday and residents should be prepared for what comes after: sonic booms generated by the Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage as it lands at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Every year seems to be historic for the space industry, but the last few have been exceptionally so.

SpaceX is getting ready to launch another round of Starlink satellites into orbit on Thursday, according to a forecast released by the 45th Weather Squadron at Patrick Space Force Base.

NASA has aced the most complicated, critical job on its newly launched space telescope: unrolling and stretching a sunshade the size of a tennis court.

Scientists say a meteor that caused an earthshaking boom across suburban Pittsburgh on New Year’s Day exploded in the atmosphere with an energy blast equivalent to an estimated 30 tons of TNT.

NASA's new space telescope is doing well more than a week after liftoff, following a pair of problems overcome by ground controllers.

As the historic year of spaceflight closes, 2022 will target new achievements.

A Japanese space tourist says he felt his 12-day mission to the International Space Station was too short and he would love to stay a week more.

NASA continues “reviewing launch opportunities” in March and April for the Artemis I moon rocket after an engine controller failed a communications test.

Space Force forecasters had calculated only 30% "go" conditions the day before, but also said a short window might open around launch time. They were right.

A Japanese billionaire, his producer and a Russian cosmonaut have safely returned to Earth after spending 12 days on the International Space Station.

NASA may need to delay the uncrewed Artemis 1 mission.

NASA is shooting for next Friday to launch its newest space telescope.

Space Force weather forecasters anticipated favorable conditions for the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Turkish communications satellite this weekend.

The new bridge is scheduled to be complete in 2025.

Next week's launch of NASA's new space telescope is delayed for at least two days because of a communication problem between the observatory and the rocket.

A NASA spacecraft has officially “touched” the sun, plunging through the unexplored solar atmosphere known as the corona.

Axiom Space was selected to lead the second private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, NASA announced on Monday.

A Japanese space tourist has rebuffed criticism from those who questioned his decision to pay a fortune for a trip to the International Space Station, saying the “amazing” experience was worth it.

Blue Origin successfully launched its latest passenger spaceflight on Saturday.

Chinese astronauts are beaming back a science lesson from the country's under-construction space station.

NASA is launching a satellite atop SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket early Thursday that will study the X-rays from extreme sources like black holes.

Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex, announced Dec. 2 and set to open in March 2022, will explore the present and future of collaborative cosmic travel.

TV celebrity and former football great Michael Strahan is going to have to wait another few days before rocketing into space.

A Japanese billionaire and his producer rocketed to space on Wednesday and reached the International Space Station several hours later.

In Houston Monday, NASA chose a DeBary pilot and engineer to its newest class of astronauts.

The most powerful variant of an Atlas V rocket shot off its Cape Canaveral pad like a laser beam early Tuesday, taking several payloads on a mission overseen by the Space Force.

The private space company Astra is planning its first commercial launch from Florida's Space Coast, helping NASA to put a satellite into orbit.

A list of rocket launches to look out for in the coming weeks and months.

SpaceX launched another batch of Starlink satellites into space Thursday evening from Cape Canaveral.

Spacewalking astronauts have replaced a broken antenna outside the International Space Station after getting NASA's all-clear for orbiting debris.

SpaceX teams at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station opted to delay the company's next launch by about a day, setting the stage for a Thursday evening liftoff with dozens of Starlink satellites

The device will launch to the ISS next year.

A new NASA report is taking a deeper look at not only what it will take to keep the International Space Station going until 2030, but what comes after it.

Could SpaceX be on the verge of bankruptcy?

Concerns over space debris has delayed a planned spacewalk at the International Space Station.

The unmistakable roar of four jet engines broke the dead-of-night silence at Kennedy Space Center earlier this month, marking the arrival of a massive Air Force transport at the landing facility once used for space shuttles.

The world's second-richest man's rocket company has applied to modify an environmental permit to expand its factory at Kennedy Space Center.

A Russian rocket has blasted off successfully to deliver a new docking module to the International Space Station.

NASA has launched a spacecraft on a mission to smash into an asteroid and test whether it would be possible to knock a speeding space rock off course if one were to threaten Earth.

The next celebrity heading to space has been announced.

The European Space Agency says the launch of a new NASA telescope to replace the famed Hubble observatory is being postponed.

NASA will attempt to redirect an asteroid by crashing a rocket into it.

A view of Venus from NASA's Mariner 10 spacecraft based on data captured in 1974.India is now planning to launch its own Venus orbiter in 2024. India plans to launch a new orbiter to Venus in 2024, a year later than planned, according to media reports. ISRO has been soliciting ideas for instruments for a Venus-based mission since at least 2018, according to its website. Shukrayaan will also bring an instrument to Venus to examine the planet's atmosphere in infrared, ultraviolet and submillimeter wavelengths, Antonita said. Antonita added that other instruments have been shortlisted and that India plans to fly an instrument from Germany.

SpaceX and NASA will possibly try again as soon as Saturday at 3:22 p.m., if the weather cooperates. After launch, Behnken and Hurley are bound for the International Space Station where they will spend one to four months before returning to Earth. But with two days between launch attempts, whats an astronaut to do while they wait to go to space? Heres what SpaceX astronauts listened to on their way to the launch pad]Behnken shared a photo on social media of that new tradition a day before the first SpaceX launch attempt. Between launch days, Lindgren said the astronauts are getting briefings from SpaceX and NASA about the health of the Falcon 9 rocket and the weather.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. Floridas weather wasnt kind to SpaceX Wednesday as Elon Musks company attempted to break the dry spell in American astronaut launches from the Space Coast. From the start, dark heavy clouds loomed over NASAs Kennedy Space Center and Air Force weather officials said there was a 50% chance SpaceX would have good launch conditions for the Falcon 9 rocket. Countdown coverage from SpaceX and NASA included multiple celebrity appearances, from afar, and live commentary from NASA Astronaut Leland Melvin as well as SpaceX and NASA employees. When it does happen, the liftoff will mark the first time since 2011 NASA astronauts have launched from Florida. The 45th Weather Squadron is predicting a 60% chance of favorable launch weather Saturday.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. The clouds and rain around Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A are still present Tuesday, one day before Elon Musks company is set to launch two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station, but launch conditions have improved slightly, according to Space Force weather officials. In a launch briefing with NASA and SpaceX Monday, Mike McAleenan, launch weather officer with the 45th Weather Squadron, said the weather would improve by launch day. The primary concerns are flying a rocket through rain and thick cloud cover, however, thats just the weather for launch. The launch pad is the same one Saturn V and Apollo 11 launched to the moon from more than 50 years ago. If the launch goes Wednesday, it will take 19 hours for Hurley and Behnken to reach the International Space Station.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. Ahead of SpaceXs Demo-2 launch with NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, launch fans can see live views of the Falcon 9 rocket at Kennedy Space Center leading up to the historic countdown. [CHOOSE THE VIEW: ClickOrlando.com Watch Party Page]On News 6 and ClickOrlando.coms watch party page youll have a one-of-a-kind viewing experience of the historic NASA and SpaceX launch, which will send astronauts back into space from U.S. soil for the first time since 2011. [WATCH LIVE: News 6]SpaceX is set to launch the Falcon 9 rocket with the Crew Dragon spacecraft from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A at 4:33 p.m. Wednesday. The ClickOrlando.com watch party page has several unique views of the rocket on the pad and will also include the News 6 virtual watch party in the hours leading up to the launch. Subscribe to a weekly newsletter to receive the latest in space news directly to your inbox here.

Thankfully, SpaceX wasnt attempting to launch Monday, said Mike McAleenan, launch weather officer with the 45th Weather Squadron. According to the latest launch forecast, the primary concerns Wednesday are thick cloud cover and rain. McAleenan said the weather should improve by Wednesday to a 60% chance of good launch conditions. Its been trending better over the last day or two for launch weather, McAleenan said. There are certain launch and recovery criteria NASA and SpaceX must meet in order to get the rocket off the ground.

The 45th Weather Squadron issued the first forecast five days out giving a 40% chance of good launch conditions for the window. However, the forecast does not include recovery conditions if an abort is triggered and the Crew Dragon needs to be recovered at sea. [RETURN TO SPACE: Americas first astronaut launch in 9 years: How did we get here? | Chance of weather scrub on Crew Dragon astronaut launch day very high, SpaceX officials say]Kegges weighed in on what recovery conditions are looking like five days ahead of the launch. The launch will not go if weather violates the limits at splashdown in case of Dragon launch escape downrange, according to the criteria for launch NASA released earlier this week.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. The Space Shuttle Program was always going to end. For all the shuttle program did for humanity, delivering a galaxy-hunting telescope to orbit and building the International Space Station, they had their drawbacks. In fact, it was Hurley himself who brought the Shuttle program to a close; he piloted Atlantis down to Kennedy's runway in 2011. Bridenstine said that will end once the Crew Dragon and Falcon 9 launch America back into space. Bridenstine said NASA was negotiating with Russia to buy one final seat from Russia for an October Soyuz launch.

We are encouraging motorists to download the WAZE app, the Titusville Police Department said in a news release. The agency released updated traffic routes for the day of the launch. All vehicles on State Road 406 and on the A. Max Brewer Bridge and surrounding areas will go west on SR 406. Eastbound traffic on State Road 528 wont be able to turn around at George King Boulevard and will be directed south on State Road A1A and State Road 520 west. Parking updates will be available on Waze county wide.

As NASA and SpaceX prepare to send astronauts back into space from U.S. soil for the first time in nearly a decade, the space agency released the climate criteria that would keep it from launching the Falcon 9 Crew Dragon on May 27. Before a launch the U.S. Air Force 45th Weather Squadron will be closely monitoring weather conditions that could prevent the launch, or in the event of a launch abort, the recovery of the Crew Dragon spacecraft from the Atlantic Ocean. Weather officers will be monitoring both launch and landing conditions throughout the countdown for certain criteria that would cause the launch to be scrubbed for the safety of the astronauts. Below are 14 weather conditions that would prevent the launch from happening. [RETURN TO SPACE: Subscribe to a weekly newsletter to receive the latest in space news directly to your inbox | American spaceflight history: Space Shuttle establishes lasting human presence in space]

The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex will reopen May 28 in a limited capacity after closing more than two months ago due to the coronavirus pandemic. During the initial reopening, the visitor complex will be open to a limited number of guests. The first stage of the reopening will not include the Kennedy Space Center Bus Tour due to social distancing guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tickets purchased during the initial reopening are $29.99 for adults and $24.99 for children and will also include a complimentary ticket to return to the Visitor Complex next year. The Visitor Complex will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the initial reopening.

LOS ANGELES Richard Bransons Virgin Orbit is targeting the coming weekend for its first attempt to launch a demonstration payload into space aboard a rocket released from beneath the wing of a Boeing 747. Earlier this year, Virgin Orbit conducted a rehearsal flight that simulated release of the rocket. Headquartered in Long Beach, Virgin Orbit is a sister company to Virgin Galactic, which is preparing to carry tourists on suborbital flights high over New Mexico. Virgin Orbits system will be capable of launching small satellites into space from locations around the world. The launch rehearsal comes after years of development and recent extensive modification of operations because of the coronavirus pandemic, as well as putting team members to work on the development of medical ventilators.

NASAs space shuttle fleet included Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour and flew a combined 135 missions in space. Heres a look back at the program that established a permanent human presence in space:1981: First space shuttle launchBeginning a new era in human spaceflight, Space Shuttle Columbia launched on STS-1 from Kennedy Space Center on April 12, 1981. Jan. 28, 1986: Space Shuttle Challenger tragedyOn January 28, 1986, space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after its life-off from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. More than two years later, Space Shuttle Discovery marked the return to human spaceflight for NASA on Aug. 9, 2005. July 2011: The final space shuttle launchA marker to indicate where Atlantis stopped in 2011 after the final space shuttle mission.

Eight days from the first astronaut launch from American soil in nine years, NASA announced the head of its human spaceflight office had stepped down. Doug Loverro was appointed as associate administrator for the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate in October 2019. Associate Administrator for Human Exploration and Operations Doug Loverro has resigned from his position effective Monday, May 18, the statement read. The leadership change was also not mentioned at the National Space Council meeting Tuesday attended by Vice President Mike Pence and NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. The event is set to be a historic launch for NASA and SpaceX.

By the end of the Apollo program, 12 astronauts had walked on the moon. Heres a look at the events and significant moments from the Apollo program. It was the only moon mission to include a scientist on the crew, astronaut and geologist Harrison Schmitt. It was both the last launch of an Apollo spacecraft, and the Saturn family of rockets. It was also the last U.S. space mission until the first space shuttle flight in April 1981.