SPACE NEWS

NASA is set to bring its latest update on the Artemis I mission on Monday as the mission is now at its midway point.

Orion, which launched into space atop NASA’s mega rocket over a week ago, is preparing to enter into distant retrograde around the moon Friday afternoon.

This professional sand sculptor wasn’t too spaced out when she decided to recreate NASA’s mega moon rocket on Cocoa Beach.

The European Space Agency has made history by selecting an amputee who lost his leg in a motorcycle accident to be among its newest batch of astronauts — one step toward its pioneering ambition to send someone with a physical disability into space.

SpaceX is set to launch its Dragon spacecraft atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center.

SpaceX is preparing to launch its Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

NASA's Orion capsule has reached the moon, whipping around the far side and passing within about 80 miles.

A space capsule hurtles toward the moon.

NASA announced on Sunday that the mission management team polled “go” for Orion’s flyby past the moon.

Chloe Stack, a college student in Georgia, has ties to the space coast: her father, Peter Stack, was a senior engineer at a Company called Sev1Tech, a contractor for NASA.

The Orion spacecraft atop NASA's Space Launch System rocket during its Artemis I mission to the moon gave humans a view back on Earth that they haven’t seen in decades.

As the Artemis I mission rocket blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center early Wednesday morning, people from across Central Florida came out to watch the flight.

NASA’s Artemis I moon mission launch packed nearby parks, as many came to witness the historic moment.

The Artemis I mission is expected to launch from Kennedy Space Center during a two-hour launch window that opens at 1:04 a.m. on Wednesday.You don’t have to go out to Cape Canaveral to watch the launch.

Against the night sky, NASA’s Artemis I mega moon rocket launches from Kennedy Space Center.

At Pier 220 under the A. Max Brewer Bridge, Pier 220 General Manager Samantha Ablan said even though Wednesday’s Artemis I launch attempt is at 1:04 a.m., the restaurant with a direct view of Kennedy Space Center and launch pad 39B expects to stay open late.

Brevard County and the city of Titusville is planning for major congestion in and around Kennedy Space Center Wednesday because of the Artemis I launch.

People who want to view the Artemis rocket launch on the Space Coast may want to check out these spots.

The Space Launch System (SLS) heading for the moon on Wednesday, Nov. 16 for the Artemis I mission will be the most powerful rocket ever to launch by far.

NASA is counting down to this week's planned liftoff of its new moon rocket after an evaluation of hurricane damage.

NASA is counting down to this week's planned liftoff of its new moon rocket after an evaluation of hurricane damage.

Artemis I mission management team gave a “go” for the next launch attempt for NASA’s mega moon rocket.

After inspecting the Artemis I moon mission rocket following Hurricane Nicole, NASA is going to make "minor repairs" ahead of the upcoming launch.

Kennedy Space Center got through Hurricane Nicole with minor damage so far, according to NASA officials, who say a top-down inspection of the Artemis I moon rocket will take place soon.

NASA is pushing back the launch of its Artemis I moon mission to give its crews at Kennedy Space Center more time once Tropical Storm Nicole passes.

The rocket NASA is hoping to send to the moon next week will stay on the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center, despite Subtropical Storm Nicole bearing down on Florida.

This week's total lunar eclipse is the last one for three years.

NASA’s moon rocket is back on the pad for another launch attempt, following more repairs.

A crewed flight on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft has now been pushed back to April 2023.

The Space Launch System rocket that NASA plans to use for the Artemis I moon mission began another rollout late Thursday to Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39B.

SpaceX successfully launched a European satellite into orbit early Thursday morning from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

NASA announced they are on track to rollout the Space Launch System rocket with the Orion spacecraft from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B ahead of its mid-November launch.

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

SpaceX is set to send two spacecraft payloads to geosynchronous orbit on behalf of the U.S. Space Force, treating Floridians to their first Falcon Heavy launch in more than three years.

China has launched the third and final module to complete its permanent space station and realize a more than decade-long effort to maintain a constantly crewed presence in orbit.

SpaceX is set to send two payloads to geosynchronous orbit on behalf of the U.S. Space Force this Halloween.

SpaceX is set to send two payloads to geosynchronous orbit on behalf of the U.S. Space Force this Halloween.

The first Native American woman in space says she's overwhelmed by the beauty and delicacy of Mother Earth.

After three missions in space, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev has run into difficulty on Earth.

The NASA astronaut who commanded the Apollo 9 mission has died.

SpaceX is set to launch its Falcon 9 rocket carrying Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13F satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

After several delays, NASA announced a new date for its next launch attempt of its Space Launch System rocket for the Artemis I mission.

After weather delayed the return of four astronauts who launched from Kennedy Space Center in April, Crew-4 came home and splashed down off Florida’s coast.

Tom Cruise has to go to space to save the day in a new movie in development at Universal and he may be the first civilian to perform a real spacewalk as part of it.

NASA says a spacecraft that plowed into a small, harmless asteroid millions of miles away last month succeeded in shifting its orbit.

A spacecraft carrying four astronauts part of NASA’s Crew-5 will dock at the International Space Station after a successful launch off Florida’s Space Coast.

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying a pair of communications satellites Saturday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

NASA’s Artemis Space Launch Systems rocket fared well inside the Vehicle Assembly Building during Hurricane Ian, and now crews are getting ready for a November launch.

SpaceX and NASA prepare to launch the next crewed mission to the International Space Station.

United Launch Alliance is planning a Tuesday evening launch of an Atlas V rocket from the Space Coast.

China wants to change the trajectory of asteroid 2020 PN1 as part of planetary defense programs.

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.