Important Innovations

  4 Astronauts Aboard Recycled Capsule and Recycled Rocket                                   Source:  NASA & Space X Flying in Proven Flight Systems This morning, Space X launched a crew of four astronauts to the International Space Station aboard a recycled, reused Falcon 9 rocket booster, dubbed B1061, by SpaceX.  The launch made history multiple times. It is the first time that astronauts have flown on a recycled, reused Crew Dragon capsule, named Endeavor, coupled with a reused Falcon 9 first stage launch rocket.  It is also the first time that astronauts representing three different space agencies - NASA, Europe's ESA and Japan's JAXA, have ridden in the same space capsule.  Space X's Endeavor made history last May when it became the first commercial space vehicle to ferry NASA astronauts to the ISS as part of the first launch of astronauts from the US in twenty years.  Today's flight not only made history.  It provided a spectacular light show in the skies fro

SpaceX 1st Fully Operational Flight for NASA Takes Off                                                 Source:  NASA 4 US Astronauts on SpaceX Resilience                                                       Source:  Space X SpaceX CEO Musk Has Moderate Symptoms of COVID SpaceX's 1st operational flight for NASA to the ISS with 4 US astronauts onboard just successfully launched in a capsule named Resilience.  This launch is historic.  It will be the first time in 60 years that NASA handed over the keys for a fully operational launch of NASA astronauts to a US private space company. Ironically, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk could not be in person for the historic moment.  He says he has a moderate case of COVID-19.  NASA would not allow him to be at NASA or near the astronauts as he is in COVID quarantine. Musk Questions the COVID Test Technology SpaceX and Tesla CEO Musk believes he most likely has a moderate case of COVID-19.  As he had two positive and two negatives results on COVID testin

  Looking To Launch Starliner First Un-crewed, Then Crewed                                                       Source:  Boeing Spaceship with Checkered Past Boeing has built the Starliner, a next generation spacecraft, that's designed to ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS).  It is an alternative vehicle to the highly successful SpaceX Crew Dragon that brought two astronauts back and forth to the ISS this past summer.   The Starliner has been plagued with development problems, test failures and schedule slippages.  Now it has lost its astronaut Commander Chris Ferguson.  Ferguson is an engineer who helped Boeing develop the space vehicle. December 2019 Test Starliner has experienced a rocky road to development.  In December 2019, during an un-crewed flight, software problems caused the engines to misfire.  Starliner entered the wrong orbital path, never reached the ISS and was forced to return to Earth.  Now, for "personal reasons" Boeing e

  UFO Caught On Tape Trailing the ISS                                                  Source:  NASA ISS Feed Spacecraft With Speeds of 27,000 km Per Hour NASA's live camera feed from the International Space Station (ISS)  captured, in infrared video, the speeding image of an unidentified flying object chasing the ISS,  The object was a large white orb speeding at 27,000 km per hour (16,777 mph) behind and toward the ISS.  It was visible in the live NASA feed for forty minutes.  It moved upwards, passed the ISS and then faded away.  UFO expert Scott Warring said it is proof of the existence of an alien space vehicle. Is It A Satellite, Meteorite, Unknown Spaceship from Earth or UFO? The object was first spotted leaving the Earth's atmosphere, which suggests it may have launched somewhere near the planet Earth.  It first appeared as a small dot on the screen and then flew closer and closer to the ISS.  Warring says he thinks the aliens controlling the vessel might have been tryi

Crew Dragon & US Astronauts Splash Down August 2  Source:  Crew Dragon From ISS and Back to Earth For NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Robert Behnken, it's been historic days on the International Space Station since May 30, 2020, after they launched in the SpaceX Crew Dragon spaceship aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and boarded the ISS.  They have made history for the US.  They are the first US astronauts to be launched from US soil in a decade. For SpaceX it was their first human flight into space. And for humanity, we had the opportunity to witness the 2 astronauts' bravery, leadership and scientific accomplishments, including their incredible space views of comets from the ISS.  Now, it is time for the two astronauts to make history again. NASA Schedule NASA has decided the two US astronauts will start the journey back to Earth on August 2, after 64 days onboard the ISS.  The departure plan is the equivalent of technological daring-do with a lot of expert te

Huge Wins for SpaceX & NASA Source:  SpaceX Historic Space Travel Firsts History was made on May 30, 2020 when a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida with 2 US astronauts, Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley, strapped onboard the SpaceX spacecraft Crew Dragon.  Within 12 minutes, Crew Dragon separated from the rocket and hurtled into space to rendezvous with the International Space Station (ISS).  Next day, May 31, 2020, Crew Dragon autonomously docked with the ISS. The docking happened 19 hours after launch. Crew Dragon used 12 separate latches to create an air locked seal between Dragon and the ISS for the 2 US astronauts to go onboard the ISS and join 3 other astronauts - 2 Russians and 1 American, already there.  History was made by SpaceX, NASA and the two brave, US astronauts.  SpaceX had never carried humans into space before this. Crew Dragon is an autonomous space vehicle that the astronauts can also do some fly time in.  The

NASA, SPACEX, US Astronauts & Elon Musk Source:  NASA - Crew Dragon Capsule Many Historic Firsts on Earth and Space On Wednesday, May 27, 2020, Elon Musk's SpaceX will carry two US Astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS).  This will be the first time in nearly a decade that there has been rocket launch carrying astronauts into space orbit from US soil.  It is also a first for SpaceX to carry humans - NASA astronauts - into space. And it is the first time that a private commercial vehicle has taken US astronauts into orbit.  Experts say, if all goes well, this could be the beginning of a new era of human spaceflight for the US. Launch Time The launch is set for Wednesday afternoon from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.  President Donald Trump says he will be there.  Two veteran US astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken will be the crew aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule that will rocket into space on a SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket.

NASA Working with Actor Tom Cruise Source:  NASA view from ISS International Space Station & a Big Star This is innovative film making at its best.  NASA is working with actor Tom Cruise to shoot a movie in space.  Specifically, NASA has just disclosed that it will fly Tom Cruise to the International Space Station (ISS). Cruise will stay aboard and shoot a movie there.  And NASA Director Jim Bridenstine says this isn't science fiction.  It's going to happen! Apparently, Tom Cruise is about to become an astronaut. ISS The ISS is a multibillion science lab that orbits 250 miles above the Earth.  Rotating crews of astronauts have been onboard since 2000.  The US and Russia are the primary operators.  According to Director Bridenstine,  NASA's top priority is to find new forms of life in space.  He is putting billions of dollars of new technology, missions and telescopes behind the effort in the 2020's.  It will be interesting to see if the Cruise movie plays into the U

Launching US Astronauts from Florida Source:  NASA 1st Human Spaceflight from US Since 2011 After nearly a decade of absence, human spaceflights will launch from US soil on May 27, 2020. SpaceX,  founded by entrepreneur  Elon Musk, will launch its CrewDragon rocket with two US astronauts onboard and crewing the space vehicle.  Their destination is the International Space Station.  This mission is a series of historic firsts in space. Space Firsts This is the first crewed mission for SpaceX since CEO Elon Musk founded the company in 2002. And, it's the first time a rocket will carry  astronauts into orbit from US soil  since 2011.  That's when NASA retired its space shuttle program. And there's yet another first. The public cannot attend the launch. History Being Made Because of COVID-19, the public cannot attend the  launch at Cape Canaveral, Florida. The launch is historic for several more

SpaceX Latest Launch Includes Wine Experiments in Space Source:  SpaceX Rocket Launch Vino Vines in Space SpaceX's latest launch contains experiments designed to save wine from the destruction of Climate Change.  Global warming is putting grapes and wine at risk as they are very susceptible to changes in temperature.  The Climate Change situation is so significant some vineyard owners are moving their operations to colder regions in higher altitudes.  The wine experiments that SpaceX carried to the International Space Station are designed to remedy the situation. International Space Station European startup Space Cargo Unlimited is the force behind the wine experiments.  Their project was ferried by SpaceX to the International Space Station.  Included are vines for Merlot and for Cabernet Sauvignon to see how they fare during six months aboard the ISS in space.  The grape vines will be subjected to zero gravity and increased radiation.  Space Cargo Unlimited sc

Russia's Skybot on the International Space Station Source:  Sputnik Delivered by Soyuz Rocket with No Humans on Board Russia's humanoid robot Skybot is onboard the International Space Station.  It was carried up to the ISS on a Soyez MS-14 rocket with no humans onboard.  The space journey was a non-human test flight of new systems including new motion control and navigation systems.  The inflight verifications, including data collected by Skybot, have cleared the way for Russian crews to be transported to ISS on the Soyuz 2.1a rocket starting in Spring 2020. Skybot the Crew Member Skybot F-850, formerly known as FEDOR, is designed to replicate the motions of a remote human operator.  The robot has arms and legs and can perform some functions autonomously.  Onboard the ISS, Skybot is testing its voice program to communicate with Russian astronauts and its ability to function in microgravity.  During its trip to the ISS, Skybot provided G-force and tempera

NASA's New Tourist Destination:  ISS Source:  Axiom NASA Partners with Axiom Space exploration company Axiom of Houston, Texas  is partnering with NASA for a big launch of space tourism.  Tourists will be able to visit the International Space Station (ISS) as early as 2024. Axiom is a private US space station manufacturer that is building, what it hopes will be, the world's first commercial, international space station.  CEO Michael Suffredini is the former program manager of the ISS for NASA.  This is a big business alliance, with tremendous expertise behind it, for launching tourists into space. Advanced Luxury Space "Hotel" Priced as High as $35,000 The Axiom space vehicle is an impressive piece of technology. First of all, it will be led by a trained astronaut, have a crew and also research labs on board.   It  has the biggest space observation window ever built into a space capsule and the state-of-the art interior was designed by the top French-b

Starliner Manned Flight to International Space Station Source:  Boeing Starliner Boeing and NASA Commercial Astronauts At the Johnson Space Center in Houston, a veteran team of astronauts are training for the trip of a lifetime.  They'll be launched into space onboard Boeing's new spacecraft Starliner to the International Space Station.  The Starliner is a next generation space capsule designed to take people to and from low Earth orbit. For Boeing, NASA is the anchor company for Starliner, beginning with missions to the ISS with NASA and NASA sponsored crews.  The space vehicle will eventually take tourists on space voyages. Launch Time The Starliner mission will launch in late 2019 or in early 2020.  The five person crew, two women and three men, are Boeing and NASA veteran astronauts.  This mission underscores the importance of the growing commercial business opportunities in space.  You might call it an intergalactic global business frontier that is just opening

Fedor in Orbit Source:  Russian Space Agency Roscosmos - Fedor Spacebot Docking at ISS Aborted Today Russia's first humanoid robot Fedor or Skybot F850 is travelling in space aboard an unmanned spacecraft to the International Space Station.  The Russian Soyez spacecraft tried to dock with the ISS to deliver Fedor today but the docking was aborted.  Russian cosmonauts issued the order to abort the approach to the ISS because the Soyez wasn't on target to properly lock-on. Second Try on Tuesday The crewless, automated Soyez backed away safely and Russian flight controllers are determining next steps.  They believe the problem was a radio failure aboard the ISS not the Soyez.  The Director of the Russian space agency Roscosmos says they'll try again to dock on Tuesday morning. Fedor, Astronauts' Assistant Once on board the ISS, Fedor will start learning how to serve as an astronauts' assistant.  His actions are human-like and he'll perform light tasks

Tourist Space Vacations Source:  NASA - ISS NASA To Bring Private Citizens to International Space Station This is a first and a strong harbinger of the commercialization of space. NASA, for $50 million +++ will fly private citizens to the International Space Station, starting in early 2020.  It would be the ultimate vacation onboard the ISS for up to thirty days and the ultimate field trip into outer space for research.  For at the look at the future of space commercialization, go to  Important Innovations Collection: NASA Space Station Vacations : $50 Million ++ Flight That's Out of this World Source:  NASA - ISS Dawn of Space Tourism NASA is opening the International Space ...

2021 Missions to International Space Station Courtesy:  SNC Space Utility Vehicle Sierra Nevada Corporation's Dream Chaser space plane continues to go through successful milestone testing by NASA.  It's been selected by NASA to deliver and return cargo from the International Space Station (ISS) starting in 2021.  It's a reusable, multi-mission space utility vehicle that easily lands on commercial runways. Fascinating Technology The Dream Chaser is an autonomous launch, flight and landing vehicle.  No pilot is needed.  It has a high reusability rate of 15 times.  It's the only commercial space plane that is what's called a lifting body vehicle, capable of a runway landing.  It provides ground crews immediate access to the cargo onboard as soon as it lands.  And it will do a minimum of six missions to and from ISS starting in 2021.  It's the product of  US company SNC and their 4,000 engineers, scientists and software developers.