William Harwood – Page 31 – Spaceflight Now

Astronauts venture outside for more battery work, cable installations

April 8, 2019 William Harwood

Two astronauts floated outside the International Space Station Monday for NASA’s third spacewalk in less than three weeks for more battery replacement work and installation of cables.

NASA chief slams India anti-satellite test

April 2, 2019 William Harwood

The successful test of an Indian anti-satellite weapon March 27 created a cloud of high-velocity debris that poses a near-term threat to other spacecraft in low-Earth orbit, including the International Space Station, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine told agency employees Monday. Indian officials said the threat was minimal.

Astronauts say NASA up to challenge of near-term moon landings

April 1, 2019 William Harwood

The three U.S. astronauts aboard the International Space Station said Monday they’re ready to sign up for a trip to the moon if NASA can meet the Trump administration’s newly stated goal of returning Americans to the lunar surface within the next five years.

Hague, Koch complete another spacewalk to connect new batteries

March 29, 2019 William Harwood

With plans for the first all-female spacewalk derailed by suit sizing issues, astronauts Christina Koch and Nick Hague floated outside the International Space Station Friday for a revised excursion to help fix a solar array battery problem and to connect a second set of replacement batteries as originally planned.

Spacewalkers hook up new batteries outside International Space Station

March 22, 2019 William Harwood

Astronauts Anne McClain and Nick Hague floated outside the International Space Station Friday to complete the installation of powerful new batteries in the lab’s solar power system, a complex task that began in 2017. Another set of batteries will be installed during another spacewalk next Friday.

Space station crew back at six with successful Soyuz docking

March 15, 2019 William Harwood

A Russian cosmonaut and his NASA co-pilot, five months after riding out a dramatic launch abort last October, finally made it into orbit Thursday and, along with a NASA astronaut making her first flight, docked with the International Space Station six hours later to boost the lab’s crew back to six.

Crew of Soyuz launch abort set for second try

March 13, 2019 William Harwood

Five months after a frightening launch abort, cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin and NASA flight engineer Tyler “Nick” Hague, along with first time flier Christina Koch, are set for liftoff Thursday on a six-hour flight to the International Space Station, boosting the lab’s crew back to six.

NASA unveils $21 billion Trump administration fiscal year 2020 budget request

March 11, 2019 William Harwood

President Trump’s fiscal 2020 budget request includes $21.02 billion for NASA, funding the agency’s ongoing efforts to develop commercial spacecraft and infrastructure in low-Earth orbit and to press ahead with construction and launch of the world’s most powerful rocket and the Orion crew ships that will carry astronauts back to the moon.

SpaceX crew ship set for Friday re-entry, splashdown

March 7, 2019 William Harwood

Space station astronauts closed hatches to the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft Thursday, setting the stage for undocking early Friday and a fiery unpiloted plunge to splashdown off the coast of Florida. A successful return to Earth will help clear the way for launch of the first piloted test flight of the new ferry ship in the mid-summer timeframe.

SpaceX launches first Crew Dragon ferry ship

March 2, 2019 William Harwood

Opening a new era in American spaceflight, a Falcon 9 rocket streaked into space early Saturday, boosting the company’s first Crew Dragon spacecraft into orbit on an unpiloted test flight, the first launch of a commercially developed capsule intended to carry astronauts to and from the International Space Station.