Space Station
Cygnus cargo ship launches to space station, deploys one of two solar arrays
Using its second-to-last Antares rocket with Russian engines before a redesign to rely on all-U.S. propulsion, Northrop Grumman sent a Cygnus supply ship into orbit from Virginia on Monday to deliver spacewalk equipment, experiments, and fresh treats for the crew on the International Space Station. Ground teams only confirmed one of the two solar arrays deployed after launch, but engineers believe the spacecraft has enough power to reach the station and complete its primary mission.
First Starliner crew flight slips to April 2023
The first test flight of Boeing’s Starliner crew capsule with astronauts has been delayed from February to April 2023, moving the mission after a busy stretch of crew and cargo missions to the International Space Station, and allowing more time for engineers to address problems discovered on an unpiloted test flight earlier this year, NASA said last week.
Live coverage: Crew-4 astronauts depart space station, return to Earth
Three NASA astronauts and the outgoing European commander of the International Space Station departed the orbiting complex and headed for Earth on Friday aboard SpaceX’s Dragon Freedom spacecraft. Undocking from the space station occurred at 12:05 p.m. EDT (1605 GMT). A parachute-assisted splashdown off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida, followed nearly five hours later 4:55 p.m. EDT (2055 GMT).
NASA, SpaceX delay crew capsule return to wait for better weather
Four astronauts are preparing to ride a SpaceX Dragon crew capsule from the International Space Station back to Earth this week to close out a nearly six-month expedition, targeting splashdown off the coast of Florida. NASA and SpaceX officials waved off return opportunities Wednesday and Thursday due to unfavorable weather in the splashdown zones.