HOUSTON (NASA PR) — NASA and SpaceX have adjusted target launch and return dates for upcoming crew missions to and from the International Space Station based on visiting vehicle traffic. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 mission now is targeting launch no earlier than Sunday, Oct. 31, with NASA astronauts Raja Chari, Tom Marshburn and  Kayla Barron and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Matthias Maurer. Crew-3 will launch on a new Crew Dragon spacecraft from Launch Complex 39A […]

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. (NASA PR) — NASA and Boeing are continuing preparations ahead of Starliner’s second uncrewed flight to prove the system can safely carry astronauts to and from the International Space Station.

Teams inside the Starliner production factory at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida recently began fueling the Starliner crew module and service module in preparation for launch of Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) at 2:53 p.m. EDT on Friday, July 30. The fueling operations are expected to complete this week as teams load propellant inside the facility’s Hazardous Processing Area and perform final spacecraft checks.

WASHINGTON (NASA PR) — NASA is launching Mission Equity, a comprehensive effort to assess expansion and modification of agency programs, procurements, grants, and policies, and examine what potential barriers and challenges exist for communities that are historically underrepresented and underserved.

by Douglas Messier
Managing Editor

Three Chinese astronauts launched into orbit on Thursday morning local time for a three-month mission to the nation’s first permanent space station. It will be the longest human space mission in Chinese history, and the country’s first crewed fight in nearly five years.

The mission is commanded by Nie Haisheng, 56, who has logged more than 19 days in space on two previous flights. Nie, who is a major general in the People’s Liberation Army Air Force, was joined by Liu Boming, 54, who will be flying to space for the second time, and rookie astronaut Tang Hongbo, 45.

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (Roscosmos PR) — Today, June 16, 2021, in the city of St. Petersburg, within the framework of the International Conference on Space Exploration GLEX-2021, a joint session of the State Corporation Roscosmos and the Chinese National Space Administration (KNKA) was held, dedicated to the presentation of the Roadmap for the creation of the International Scientific Lunar Station ( MNLS). The session was attended by Deputy General Director […]

ADAMS COUNTY, Colo. (CASP PR) — Dawn Aerospace (Dawn) and Colorado Air and Space Port (CASP) have entered into an MOU, which lays out a series of future interactions that are mutually expected to occur between the two entities, but are not legally binding. Future actions include Dawn establishing a presence at CASP, working with CASP to create a relationship with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and, eventually, conducting test flights and spaceplane launches.

“In order to provide unprecedented access to space, we’ve pursued technologies that will operate much like a fleet of aircraft – taking off and landing at airports globally,” said James Powell, Dawn Co-founder. “We’re pleased to work with the supportive Adams County Board to bring our rocket-powered suborbital plane, and longer-term our orbital spaceplane, to Colorado.”

LOUISVILLE, CO., June 16, 2021 (Sierra Space PR)  – Sierra Space Corporation (Sierra Space), the new commercial space subsidiary of global aerospace and national security leader Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), today announced the signing of a joint agreement with Rhodium Scientific, an innovative provider of space microgravity science mission and logistics services.

by Douglas Messier
Managing Editor

Three astronauts will launch on Thursday morning local time aboard the Shenzhou-12 spacecraft for a three-month long mission to China’s first permanent space station. It will be the longest human space mission in Chinese history, and the country’s first crewed fight in nearly five years.

Launch of the crew aboard a Long March 2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center is scheduled for June 17 at 0122 UTC (June 16 at 9:22 p.m. EDT).

WASHINGTON (Fusion Industry Association PR) — The Fusion Industry Association is recommending a $40 million fusion propulsion funding program, styled similarly to ARPA-E and DARPA, in order to put the United States in the optimal position to win the “Deep Space Race.”

While the United States is the current leader in space exploration, the gap is closing, and countries like China and Russia are challenging the U.S., each trying to be the first country to colonize Mars and spread their reach throughout the solar system.

BRASILIA (NASA PR) — Brazil is the latest country to sign the Artemis Accords, affirming its commitment to ensuring sustainable space exploration that adheres to a common set of principles benefiting all of humanity.

Brazil Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation Marcos Pontes signed the document during a ceremony June 15 in Brasília that featured President Jair Bolsonaro, Minister of Foreign Affairs Carlos Alberto França, and other officials.

VIENNA, Va. & RESTON, Va. (Spire Global PR) – Spire Global, Inc. (“Spire” or the “Company”), a leading global provider of space-based data and analytics, announced today the expansion of its Maritime Weather solutions portfolio. By providing more accurate and reliable insights, Spire is continuing to support its customers as a trusted source for open ocean weather data.

The Spire Weather team has added 10 years of historical weather data from across the entire planet. Historical data is vital for understanding weather patterns, planning future voyages, retroactive investigations, and daily marine activities worldwide. Reliable weather forecasts allow businesses to improve planning and reduce risk. Spire’s historical data, like its forecast data, is gridded with 12km resolution – which allows customers to get weather data in uniform resolution. This historical weather data is actionable and accurate to create AI driven models with a 1:1 match of forecast data sets. Users can not only explain past performance, but also assess future performance for every location around the globe.

STAR CITY, Russia, June 15, 2021 (Roscosmos PR) — At the Yu.A. Gagarin, on June 15, 2021, the participants of the visiting expedition’s space flight were presented to the management and staff of the Center.

By the decision of the interdepartmental commission for the selection of cosmonauts for the VC-20 crews as space flight participants, the main crew were appointed:

• Yusaku Maezawa, president of Start Today Corporation, businessman.
• Yozo Hirano, producer, personal assistant to Maezawa Yusaku.
• Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin became the commander of the prime crew.
• Back-up crew commander – Alexander Skvortsov.
• Shun Ogiso, Public Relations Manager of Start Today Corporation, will also take part in the training.