May 2022 – Page 5 – Spaceflight Now

NASA hopeful about staging fourth moon rocket fueling test in early June

May 9, 2022 William Harwood

Engineers are making progress resolving mostly ground-system problems that derailed three earlier attempts to fuel the agency’s new Space Launch System moon rocket for a dress rehearsal countdown. NASA managers said last week they’re hopeful about making a fourth attempt by mid-June.

More Starlink satellites ride into orbit on predawn launch of Falcon 9 rocket

May 6, 2022 Stephen Clark

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center at first light Friday with 53 Starlink internet satellites, completing an all-nighter of space operations just five hours after returning four astronauts to a splashdown off the west coast of Florida.

Splashdown of SpaceX capsule caps busy season of space station crew rotations

May 6, 2022 Stephen Clark

Four astronauts returned to Earth from the International Space Station early Friday with a parachute-assisted splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida, the sixth crew launch or landing in support of the station program in fewer than 50 days.

Live coverage: SpaceX launches 53 more Starlink satellites

May 6, 2022 Stephen Clark

SpaceX launched another batch of 53 Starlink internet satellites at 5:42 a.m. EDT (0942 GMT) Friday from the Kennedy Space Center. The booster nailed its landing on SpaceX’s drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean, completing its 12th flight to space.

SpaceX rolls out rocket for another Starlink deployment mission

May 5, 2022 Stephen Clark

SpaceX raised a Falcon 9 rocket vertical on pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center Thursday, ready for a pre-sunrise blastoff Friday with 53 more Starlink internet satellites, using a booster stage flying for a record-tying 12th time.

Dragon crew capsule undocks from space station, heads for splashdown Friday

May 5, 2022 Stephen Clark

Three NASA astronauts and a European Space Agency mission specialist left the International Space Station early Thursday aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule, heading for splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida to wrap up a 176-day expedition in orbit.

Psyche asteroid explorer arrives at Kennedy Space Center for launch preps

May 5, 2022 Stephen Clark

A U.S. military cargo plane delivered NASA’s Psyche spacecraft from California to the Kennedy Space Center last week, starting a three-month campaign to ready the asteroid explorer for liftoff on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket in August.

Live coverage: Four astronauts return to Earth after six-month mission

May 5, 2022 Stephen Clark

Four astronauts closed out a nearly six-month expedition on the International Space Station with an undocking early Thursday on SpaceX’s Dragon Endurance spacecraft, heading for splashdown about 24 hours later off the coast of Florida. Departure from the station occurred at 1:20 a.m. EDT (0520 GMT) Thursday, and the crew splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico at 12:43 a.m. EDT (0443 GMT) Friday.

Perseverance rover records solar eclipse on Mars

May 4, 2022 Stephen Clark

The zoomable camera on NASA’s Perseverance rover on Mars recently captured a dramatic view of Phobos, the largest of the Red Planet’s two potato-shaped moons, crossing the face of the sun in a solar eclipse lasting a little more than 40 seconds.

Boeing’s Starliner crew capsule meets Atlas rocket for long-delayed test flight

May 4, 2022 Stephen Clark

Ready for another try at launching on a test flight to the International Space Station, Boeing rolled a repaired Starliner crew capsule to United Launch Alliance’s seaside rocket hangar at Cape Canaveral Wednesday to prepare for a liftoff scheduled for May 19.