Tag: Shuttle
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Ten years on, Northrop Grumman reflects on changes to Solid Rocket Motors from Shuttle to SLS era
Ten years ago, on 8 July 2011, two, four-segment Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) came to life on LC-39A at the Kennedy Space Center, propelling the orbiter Atlantis and her four person crew upwards toward space on the 135th and final Space Shuttle mission. It marked the 269th and 270th flight firings of an SRB for…
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Roscosmos, NASA celebrate historic launch anniversaries while looking to the future
Today, Roscosmos is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Vostok-1 mission, which launched Yuri Gagarin and the first human spaceflight, while NASA simultaneously commemorates the 40th anniversary of the first launch of the world’s first reusable spacecraft, when John Young and Bob Crippen embarked on the most ambitious test flight in history aboard the shuttle…
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Twenty years after deorbit, Mir’s legacy lives on in today’s space projects
At 05:59 UTC on 23 March 2001 Russia’s Mir space station burned up as it re-entered Earth’s atmosphere, concluding its storied fifteen-year mission. Twenty years on, the successes and lessons learned aboard Mir live on in its successor, the International Space Station, and in the proposed next-generation space stations being developed by national agencies, international…
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MDA into Canadarm3 development as commercial space robotic needs merge
From its first flight in November 1981, to the on-going evolution of the technology to take it from low Earth orbit out toward the Moon, the various Canadarms and their associated space robotic platforms have been an ever-present and critical element of human space exploration. Now, as the need to develop a more autonomous robotic…
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Why those sometimes annoying launch, landing weather rules exist
There’s an age-old joke amongst those who work with/launch rockets and those who cover their missions: If the rocket is ready to go, the weather will force you to try again another day. But why do NASA, the 45th Space Wing of the Space Force, their safety officers, and all launch providers make such a…
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Doug Loverro Resigns, Ken Bowersox to be Acting Human Exploration Lead
Doug Loverro has resigned as Associate Administrator of NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations (HEO) Mission Directorate. Deputy Associate Administrator Ken Bowersox will serve as the acting leader of the directorate. (Lead image via NASA – Jim Bridenstine and Ken Bowersox testify during a House subcommittee hearing) Loverro’s resignation is the second time in less than…
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SLS Core Stage MPS: more than just a fuel tank
One of the main elements of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) Core Stage that makes it more than just a big fuel tank is the Main Propulsion System (MPS). All the equipment for the care and feeding of uprated Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSME), adapted for SLS by Aerojet Rocketdyne as the RS-25, is repackaged…
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STS-400 – Remembering Endeavour’s first responder role during Atlantis’ Hubble Mission
Ten years ago, the crew of Shuttle Atlantis was in the final phase of their Servicing Mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. STS-125 was proceeding to plan and their vehicle was deemed to be in excellent condition for the return trip. However, had Atlantis suffered major damage during her launch to the telescope, Endeavour was…
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Saving Hubble: Endeavour’s ambitious mission to rescue the famous space telescope
Twenty-five years ago today, arguably the most important Space Shuttle mission of the 1990s landed back at the Kennedy Space Center, concluding a daring, complex, and high-stakes rescue mission to save the Hubble Space Telescope. The mission was also largely symbolic of what NASA can accomplish and served as a restoration of the public’s confidence…
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Hugh Harris – The Voice of Shuttle Launch Control – Reflects
The voice of Hugh Harris provided countdown commentary for the brave new era of the Space Shuttle Program during his illustrious NASA career. Mr. Harris confirmed liftoff to audiences worldwide for the victorious debut launch of Columbia, the tragic loss of Challenger and the fightback of Discovery’s first Return To Flight mission. Starting at NASA:…