Category: Spaceflight & Missions

NASA and Boeing are planning to test-fire the troubled thrusters of the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft before it returns to Earth.

The Starliner, which has been docked at the International Space Station (ISS) since June 2023, has faced issues with its reaction control system (RCS) thrusters, including some that malfunctioned during its approach to the ISS.

Ground tests have identified potential causes, such as higher temperatures causing oxidizer to vaporize and reduce thrust. Engineers will conduct a series of thruster tests while the spacecraft remains docked, excluding one malfunctioning thruster.

The space agency said on Wednesday September 04, the tests would be short pulses lasting just 0.1 seconds and could involve some of the aft thrusters that experienced problems on the journey to the International Space Station (ISS).

Steve Stich, NASA commercial crew program manager, explained that the thrusters’ test-firings would help the teams “continue to learn.” He continued to state that:

“We really want to see how the thrusters perform and what the thrust levels exactly are after we undock and fire them for a little bit. We have been entirely focused this summer on understanding what is happening on orbit, trying to decide if we could bring the crew back or not. What we need to do now is lay out the overall plan, which we have not had time to do.”

NASA also revealed that Starliner is now due to have a faster departure – or “breakout burn” – from the ISS because it is not carrying astronauts.

“Without the crew on board, able to take manual control if needed, there’s just a lot less variables that we need to account for when we do the breakout burn and allows us to get the vehicle on a trajectory home that much sooner,” Stich said.

Over the last two months, teams on Earth have been trying to duplicate the loss of performance in the thrusters, with researchers concluding that a Teflon seal had heated and expanded, which constrained the flow of oxidiser.

However, NASA finally concluded there was still “too much uncertainty” in predicting how the thruster would perform after undocking, and instead opted to send the spacecraft back without crew.

In a boost to Boeing though, Bill Nelson, NASA’s administrator, attempted to downplay criticism of the aerospace giant by arguing spaceflight is risky “even at its routine” and a test flight “by nature is neither safe nor routine”.

“So, the decision to keep Butch and Suni aboard the ISS and bring the Boeing Starliner home uncrewed is a result of a commitment to safety. Safety is our North Star of what we are trying to do in a very hostile environment, in which if you make a mistake, it’s very unforgiving.”

The current Starliner mission is the final test flight before NASA certifies the vehicle for regular operational missions.

Source: NASA / Boeing

Image: NASA / Boeing Starliner Spacecraft docked at the International Space Station.

by Kate Green

October 19, 2024

NASA’s Starliner spacecraft, developed by Boeing, has faced several delays and technical issues, pushing its next crewed mission to the International Space Station (ISS) to no earlier than 2025.

Here’s an overview of the situation and its impact on upcoming missions:

Key Points:

1. Starliner’s Crewed Mission Delayed:

   • Starliner’s next potential crewed mission to the ISS will occur no sooner than 2025. NASA is currently reviewing Boeing’s path to system certification following issues on the spacecraft’s first crewed test flight earlier this year.

   • The launch of the Crew Flight Test (CFT) on June 5, 2023, experienced propulsion problems during docking. While astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams reached the ISS safely, five out of 28 thrusters had issues, leading to repeated mission extensions.

2. Troubleshooting and Delays:

   • Even after extensive ground and space testing, the propulsion issues weren’t fully resolved, prompting NASA to bring Starliner back autonomously on September 6, 2023.

   • Williams and Wilmore, originally expected to return on Starliner, will now return to Earth aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule in February 2025 as part of the Crew-9 mission. Crew Dragon’s flexibility allowed for the mission to carry two astronauts instead of the usual four, making space for the Starliner crew.

3. Certification Uncertainty:

   • NASA and Boeing are still working on determining if Starliner’s CFT mission was successful enough to meet certification requirements for future operational missions like Starliner-1.

   • If necessary, Starliner may require additional test flights with astronauts before being cleared for full operational use.

4. Starliner’s Propulsion Issues:

   • The propulsion system issues seen in 2024 are not new. Starliner also faced similar problems during its two uncrewed test flights in 2019 and 2022, which NASA and Boeing believed were resolved before sending astronauts onboard.

5. Upcoming Spaceflight Plans:

   • While Starliner is delayed, NASA’s partnership with SpaceX continues smoothly. SpaceX’s Crew-10 mission is scheduled to launch in February 2025, with a crew that includes NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, along with Takuya Onishi (JAXA) and Kirill Peskov (Roscosmos).

   • Crew-11 will follow no earlier than July 2025, though the crew for that mission has yet to be announced.

   • NASA astronauts Scott Tingle, Mike Fincke, and Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk are still assigned to Starliner-1, which was expected to fly in 2025. However, their status could change if Starliner requires additional test flights.

Conclusion:

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft continues to face delays and challenges due to propulsion issues that have persisted over multiple flights. NASA is working with Boeing to determine if Starliner can be certified for regular crewed missions to the ISS.

In the meantime, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon remains the primary vehicle for transporting astronauts to and from the space station, ensuring continuous operations on the ISS while Starliner’s future is assessed.

Image:

Boeing’s Starliner Crew Flight Test capsule landing on September 6, 2024. (Image credit: NASA TV)

by Kate Green

The collaboration between Axiom Space and Prada has unveiled the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit, designed for NASA’s Artemis III mission. This next-gen spacesuit combines creativity with engineering, reflecting how partnerships between diverse industries can drive innovation in space exploration.

Prada contributed its expertise in high-performance materials and advanced sewing techniques to enhance the suit’s outer-layer design, while Axiom Space integrated its technology for flexibility, safety, and functionality. The AxEMU suit is built to withstand the extreme environment of the lunar surface, including elevated temperatures and lunar dust, and it is scalable for use in low-Earth orbit. Notably, the suit’s design supports a wide range of astronaut sizes, from the first to the 99th percentile.

The AxEMU is built on NASA’s Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU) design, offering increased mobility, performance, and safety, with specialized features like regenerable CO2 scrubbing and cooling systems. The suit will allow astronauts to perform spacewalks for up to eight hours in the harsh lunar environment, including the permanently shadowed regions of the Moon’s south pole.

Axiom Space and Prada’s collaboration marks a significant step forward in the commercialization of space, blending industry expertise to pioneer innovative solutions for space exploration. The spacesuit is set to undergo further testing, with critical design reviews expected in 2025.

AXEMU DEVELOPMENT

The AxEMU (Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit) is a next-generation spacesuit developed by Axiom Space, advancing NASA’s xEMU (Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit) design. It enhances flexibility, safety, and performance, crucial for the challenges of the lunar south pole, particularly during the Artemis III mission. The suit is designed to accommodate a broad range of astronaut body types (from the first to the 99th percentile) and endure the Moon’s extreme environments. It can operate in the coldest, permanently shadowed lunar regions for at least two hours and support eight-hour spacewalks.

Key features of the AxEMU:

• Multiple redundant systems and an onboard diagnostic system to ensure safety.

• A regenerable CO2 scrubbing system and advanced cooling technology to remove excess heat.

• Enhanced coatings on the helmet and visor for better visibility (in collaboration with Oakley).

• Custom gloves designed in-house with advancements for comfort and usability.

• A life support system, pressure garments, and avionics integrated into the architecture.

The AxEMU’s modular design allows it to be scalable and adaptable for various missions, whether on the lunar surface or in low-Earth orbit (LEO). Over the past two years, Axiom Space has iteratively improved the suit, conducting extensive testing, including underwater simulations at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) and reduced gravity simulations at NASA’s Johnson Space Centre.

Recently, the suit completed a pressurized simulation test with NASA, SpaceX, and Axiom Space, the first since the Apollo era. As the AxEMU approaches the final development stages, it will undergo further crewed tests at the NBL and integrated tests with Artemis Lunar Terrain Vehicle prototypes before the critical design review phase in 2025.

Returning to the Lunar Surface

The Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit represents a major leap forward for lunar exploration, providing astronauts with cutting-edge equipment to access, live, and work on the Moon. This next-generation spacesuit, developed by Axiom Space, offers enhanced flexibility and protection tailored to the Artemis III mission and beyond. It builds on NASA’s xEMU design, incorporating innovative technologies to improve mobility, safety, and the ability to perform scientific tasks.

Key advancements of the AxEMU spacesuit:

• Increased flexibility: Allows astronauts to move more naturally, improving their ability to explore the lunar surface.

• Greater protection: Designed to withstand the Moon’s harsh conditions, including extreme temperatures, lunar dust, and the challenges of working in low-gravity environments.

• Specialized tools: Equipped with tools to aid in exploration, enabling astronauts to conduct more extensive scientific research on the lunar surface.

The suit’s modular and flexible design enables astronauts to cover more ground, access new regions, and expand the scope of scientific opportunities, particularly in the lunar south pole. This development marks a significant milestone for U.S. space leadership, supporting NASA’s vision of long-term lunar exploration and setting the stage for future missions that extend human presence deeper into the solar system.

Axiom Space’s work on the AxEMU also highlights the evolving commercial role in space exploration, providing NASA with advanced, commercially developed human systems that help pave the way for the Artemis program’s future missions and beyond.

A spacesuit for everyone

The Axiom Space AxEMU spacesuit is a breakthrough in both design and functionality, tailored to meet the diverse needs of astronauts, space agencies, and commercial ventures. Its adjustable and versatile sizing accommodates a broad spectrum of body types, providing a customized fit that enhances both comfort and performance for astronauts during critical missions.

Key Features:

• Adjustable design: The AxEMU’s ability to fit a wide range of body types, from the first to 99th percentile, ensures that astronauts of varying sizes can operate effectively in space. This inclusivity sets a new standard for space missions.

• Improved comfort: The suit is engineered to increase comfort, which is essential for long-duration spacewalks and other extravehicular activities, allowing astronauts to work efficiently without being hindered by their gear.

Designed for Versatility:

The AxEMU is a cost-effective multipurpose spacesuit, making it adaptable to various mission types, whether on the lunar surface or in low-Earth orbit (LEO). Its agile design meets the stringent demands of different environments with minimal modifications, offering:

• Dust resistance: The suit is designed to withstand the challenges of the lunar surface, particularly the abrasive lunar dust.

• Critical interfaces: Key features ensure safe and effective extravehicular activities (EVAs) in microgravity, making the AxEMU suitable for use in various space exploration contexts.

By providing a spacesuit that is adaptable for multiple missions, the AxEMU advances space exploration capabilities while being efficient and cost-effective. This flexibility ensures that astronauts are equipped to perform tasks safely and effectively across a range of space environments.

Designed for Every Mission

The AxEMU is designed as a cost-effective, multipurpose spacesuit, engineered to adapt to a wide variety of missions with minimal modifications. This versatile design ensures that astronauts can safely and efficiently perform tasks in various challenging environments, from the dusty lunar surface to microgravity conditions in low-Earth orbit (LEO).

Key Advantages:

• Safety and agility: The AxEMU offers improved safety through advanced technology and increased agility, enabling astronauts to navigate complex terrains and perform tasks with ease.

• Environmental resilience: It is built to endure the harsh, dusty conditions of the lunar surface, ensuring that astronauts can continue their operations without being impeded by lunar dust.

• Critical interfaces: Designed to maintain crucial systems and connections, the suit supports safe and effective extravehicular activities (EVAs), allowing astronauts to operate seamlessly in microgravity environments.

By incorporating innovative features that enhance mobility and reliability, the AxEMU provides an adaptable solution for a wide range of exploration needs, making it a versatile asset for current and future space missions.

Safety

The AxEMU spacesuit prioritizes safety and reliability by incorporating advancements based on lessons from legacy spacesuits, while integrating new technologies to ensure astronaut protection during missions. Its design centres around mitigating risks and eliminating single-point failures through the use of redundant components.

Key Safety Features:

• Redundant systems: The AxEMU’s architecture includes multiple layers of redundancy, meaning that if one system fails, backup components will take over to ensure continuous functionality, especially during critical operations like returning to the spacecraft.

• Enhanced reliability: The suit incorporates state-of-the-art technology, such as advanced life support systems and materials that provide additional protection, ensuring astronauts can operate confidently in challenging environments.

The architecture built around the astronaut ensures that every aspect of the suit is optimized to keep them safe, allowing for seamless operation even in the event of equipment malfunction. By focusing on redundancy and reliability, the AxEMU sets a new standard for safety in space exploration.

Better Mobility

The AxEMU spacesuit is designed to deliver superior mobility and agility, essential for astronauts operating in extreme environments. Recognizing that spacesuits must support astronauts in performing complex tasks, the AxEMU integrates a combination of soft and hard joints to significantly improve the range of motion.

Key Mobility Enhancements:

• Innovative joint design: The combination of flexible soft joints and durable hard joints allows for a greater range of motion, enabling astronauts to walk, bend, and manoeuvre on the Moon’s surface with ease. This ensures they can conduct precise geological and scientific tasks with minimal effort.

• Optimized for exploration: The suit is tailored to allow astronauts to move more fluidly while walking or working, enhancing their ability to navigate the challenging lunar terrain.

• Ease of movement in microgravity: The increased agility not only benefits lunar surface missions but also improves astronauts’ ability to move around and translate while working in microgravity environments, such as space stations.

By enhancing comfort and mobility, the AxEMU ensures that astronauts can perform their tasks more efficiently, reducing fatigue and enabling them to stay focused on exploration and scientific research. This advancement in design allows for safer, more productive extravehicular activities, crucial for the success of future space missions.

Built Together

The AxEMU spacesuit is a product of a truly collaborative effort, bringing together experts from diverse fields and industries. Each hardware component, fabric panel, and integrated system within the suit represents the combined knowledge and skills of individuals from various backgrounds—ranging from sewers and technicians to engineers, medical personnel, and more.

This multidisciplinary approach ensures that every aspect of the suit is crafted with precision, reliability, and innovation, leveraging the best practices from each sector. By combining engineering expertise with innovative materials and production techniques, the AxEMU is not just a spacesuit, but a testament to the power of cross-industry collaboration.

The development process has brought together people with a shared vision of advancing human exploration, creating a spacesuit designed to make history by enabling astronauts to safely walk on the Moon once again. This teamwork exemplifies the idea that groundbreaking achievements are built through the collective efforts of many, pushing the boundaries of space exploration.

Built to last Generations

The AxEMU spacesuit is designed with an agile, future-proof architecture, ensuring it meets the evolving needs of individual, commercial, and government space exploration customers. This adaptable design allows the suit to be tailored to a broad range of mission requirements, making it a versatile tool for various objectives in low-Earth orbit (LEO) and beyond.

Key Features of Longevity:

• Agile architecture: The suit’s core design is flexible and scalable, enabling it to accommodate a wide range of mission profiles and environmental conditions with minimal modifications.

• On-orbit maintenance: The AxEMU can be maintained and repaired while in orbit, reducing the need for frequent resupply or costly replacements. This capability significantly lowers operational costs and extends the lifespan of the suit during long-duration missions.

• Cost-efficiency: The long-lasting design of the AxEMU ensures that space agencies and commercial operators can rely on the suit for multiple missions, enhancing cost-effectiveness by minimizing the time and resources needed for upkeep.

By focusing on durability and adaptability, the AxEMU is built to serve multiple generations of space exploration, supporting the future of low-Earth orbit operations, lunar missions, and even deeper space endeavours. This innovation ensures that the suit remains a vital tool in the continued expansion of human presence in space.

Image: Shown here is the current white cover layer of the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit prototype as it is tested in the Active Response Gravity Offload System (ARGOS) system at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. The person wearing it tests its use with different lunar geology tools.

Image: The AxEMU spacesuit includes custom gloves made in-house featuring several advancements over the gloves currently in use.

Image: The Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit includes a helmet with visor, lights, and HD camera.

Image: The AxEMU suit will enable astronauts to perform a spacewalk for at least eight hours and it accommodates a wide range of crewmembers, including males and females from the first to 99th percentile (anthropomorphic sizing).

Image: The single AxEMU architecture is evolvable, scalable and adaptable for missions on the lunar surface and in low-Earth orbit (LEO). The AxEMU has significant advancements in safety, mobility, sizing, and performance.

by Kate Green

October 25, 2024

NASA recently announced that an Astronaut from the Crew-8 mission, who returned from completing a 235-day mission on October 25, is currently hospitalized following a routine medical check.

The mission, which included NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenki, had an uneventful re-entry and splashdown off Florida’s coast.

After safely splashing down on Earth as part of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission Friday, a NASA astronaut experienced a medical issue. NASA stated that after initial evaluations were performed aboard the recovery ship, further medical assessments were undertaken as a precautionary measure.

According to a statement from NASA, “”additional evaluation of the crew members was requested out of an abundance of caution.”

NASA did not elaborate further.

The latest update from NASA states that “three crew members have since been released, while one NASA astronaut remains under observation at Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola as a precautionary measure.”

The Agency continued to say that they “are grateful to Ascension Sacred Heart for its support during this time, and we are proud of our team for its quick action to ensure the safety of our crew members.”

NASA has not specified the medical condition to respect the Astronaut’s privacy but has assured the public that they are in stable condition.

NASA will provide additional information as it becomes available.

Image: The SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft shortly after splashdown off the coast of Florida on October 25, 2024.

by Mike Wall

November 07, 2024

SpaceX’s Starship megarocket will fly for the sixth time ever less than two weeks from now, if all goes according to plan.

Elon Musk’s company announced November 06 that it’s targeting November 18 for the next Starship test flight, which will lift off from SpaceX’s Starbase site in South Texas.

The 30-minute launch window will open at 5 p.m. EST (2100 GMT; 4 p.m. local Texas time), SpaceX wrote in an update on X. The company will stream the launch live, beginning about 30 minutes before liftoff.

Video: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/previews/Xb3IxtWU

The 400-foot-tall (122 meters) Starship is the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built. The stainless-steel vehicle consists of two fully reusable elements: a huge booster called Super Heavy and a 165-foot-tall (50 m) upper stage known as Starship, or simply Ship. Both of these stages are powered by SpaceX’s next-gen Raptor engine — 33 for Super Heavy and six for Ship.

A fully stacked Starship has launched five times to date, in April and November of 2023 and March, June and October of this year. The vehicle has performed better on each successive flight, and the most recent one, which took place on October 13, featured a landmark moment in spaceflight history: Super Heavy came back for a controlled landing beside its launch tower, which caught the booster with its “chopstick” arms.

Flight 6 will feature another booster catch, if all goes according to plan.

“The next Starship flight test aims to expand the envelope on ship and booster capabilities and get closer to bringing reuse of the entire system online,” SpaceX wrote in today’s update.

“Objectives include the booster once again returning to the launch site for catch, reigniting a ship Raptor engine while in space, and testing a suite of heatshield experiments and manoeuvring changes for ship re-entry and descent over the Indian Ocean,” the company added.

Video: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/previews/HcfylD0n

The Flight 6 Starship features some improvements over its predecessors, according to the update.

“Hardware upgrades for this flight add additional redundancy to booster propulsion systems, increase structural strength at key areas, and shorten the timeline to offload propellants from the booster following a successful catch,” SpaceX wrote. “Mission designers also updated software controls and commit criteria for the booster’s launch and return.”

Eventually, SpaceX wants to land both Super Heavy and Ship directly on the launch mount, to speed up the inspection, refurbishment and reflight process. The company believes that Starship’s combination of power and efficiency will revolutionize spaceflight, helping humanity colonize Mars and achieve a variety of other bold exploration feats.

Image:

SpaceX’s Starship Flight 5 Super Heavy booster approaches its launch tower for the first-ever landing and capture at the pad after launching on a suborbital test flight from Starbase in South Texas on Oct. 13, 2024. (Image credit: SpaceX)

Image:

SpaceX rendering on Starship Flight 6