William Harwood – Page 21 – Spaceflight Now

Virgin-founder Richard Branson heads for space Sunday

July 9, 2021 William Harwood

After nearly two decades of overly optimistic forecasts, technical challenges, a tragic setback and a determined recovery, Richard Branson, the globe-trotting media mogul and founder of Virgin Galactic, plans to rocket into space Sunday, beating fellow billionaire Jeff Bezos to the punch by nine days.

Richard Branson to fly in space July 11, nine days before rival Bezos

July 2, 2021 William Harwood

Richard Branson, the billionaire founder of Virgin Galactic, will fly into space aboard his company’s VSS Unity rocketplane July 11 for an up-and-down test flight, beating Amazon-founder and rival Jeff Bezos into sub-orbital space by nine days.

Bezos invites 82-year-old aviation pioneer to join him for spaceflight

July 1, 2021 William Harwood

Wally Funk, an 82-year-old aviation pioneer and one of the 13 female fliers who were tested but ultimately barred from NASA’s initially all-male astronaut corps, is finally getting her chance to fly in space, thanks to Jeff Bezos.

Spacewalking astronauts install second upgraded solar array

June 25, 2021 William Harwood

French astronaut Thomas Pesquet and NASA crewmate Shane Kimbrough floated back outside the International Space Station Friday and deployed a 60-foot-long roll-out solar array, the second of six new blankets being installed to upgrade the lab’s power system and offset age-related degradation.

Watch live as space station astronauts make spacewalk

June 25, 2021 William Harwood

European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet and NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough will head outside the International Space Station for a planned six-and-a-half hour spacewalk beginning around 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT). The spacewalkers will install and unfurl a second roll-out solar array outside the space station.

Spacewalkers run out of time before unrolling new space station solar array

June 16, 2021 William Harwood

Two astronauts floated outside the International Space Station Wednesday and attached a rolled-up solar array, the first of six intended to boost the lab’s power back to factory fresh levels. But a spacesuit glitch and then an interference issue with the array mechanism prevented them from extending the new panel as planned.

$28 million bid wins auction to join Bezos on suborbital spaceflight

June 12, 2021 William Harwood

An unidentified enthusiast bid an astronomical $28 million Saturday to win an on-line auction for a seat aboard a New Shepard spacecraft and a chance to make history next month, joining rocket owner and Amazon-founder Jeff Bezos for a commercial flight to space.

Bezos to join first crew for New Shepard suborbital spaceflight

June 7, 2021 William Harwood

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his brother, Mark, will join the winner of an online auction for blast off next month on an up-and-down suborbital flight to the edge of space aboard a New Shepard rocket and capsule built by Blue Origin, the tech billionaire’s space company.

Spacewalkers prepare space station’s Russian Pirs module for disposal

June 2, 2021 William Harwood

Two cosmonauts floated outside the International Space Station early Wednesday to wrap up preparations for detaching the two-decades-old Pirs airlock and docking compartment next month, clearing the way for the long-planned arrival of a new laboratory module.

NASA administrator unveils $24.8 billion 2022 budget request

May 28, 2021 William Harwood

The Biden administration’s $24.8 billion fiscal 2022 budget request for NASA will keep the agency on track to send the the first woman and the next man to the moon as early as 2024, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said Friday, but he warned that target date is far from certain.