INSIDER
SpaceX crew flight delayed until Sunday; Musk gets mixed COVID-19 results
Read full article: SpaceX crew flight delayed until Sunday; Musk gets mixed COVID-19 resultsFridayās postponement news came after SpaceX chief Elon Musk disclosed he had gotten mixed test results for COVID-19 and was awaiting the outcome of a more definitive test. āI can assure everyone that weāre looking good for the (crew) launch and all of the critical personnel involved,ā said SpaceXās Benji Reed, senior director for human spaceflight. āSo āElon Musk Tests Negative for Covidā is an equally correct title,ā he tweeted. The upcoming crew flight comes just three months after the end of the test flight with Hurley and Bob Behnken, both NASA astronauts. NASA and SpaceX are especially eager to retrieve this first-stage booster; it will be used for the next crew launch.
Astronauts: SpaceX Dragon capsule 'came alive' on descent
Read full article: Astronauts: SpaceX Dragon capsule 'came alive' on descentIn this frame grab from NASA TV video, astronauts Bob Behnken, left, and Doug Hurley wave during a news conference, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020, in Houston. The two NASA astronauts returned to Earth on Sunday in a dramatic, retro-style splashdown carried out by Elon Musk's SpaceX company. (NASA TV via AP)
Astronauts: SpaceX Dragon capsule 'came alive' on descent
Read full article: Astronauts: SpaceX Dragon capsule 'came alive' on descentThe two NASA astronauts returned to Earth on Sunday in a dramatic, retro-style splashdown carried out by Elon Musk's SpaceX company. Two days after returning from the International Space Station, NASAs Bob Behnken described in vivid detail their wild ride home. Once we descended a little bit into the atmosphere, the Dragon really, it came alive, Behnken said from NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. SpaceX became the first private company to send astronauts into orbit with the May 30 liftoff from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, ending a nine-year launch drought from home soil for NASA astronauts. It was the first splashdown for NASA astronauts in 45 years.
Isaias near hurricane strength as it crawls toward Carolinas
Read full article: Isaias near hurricane strength as it crawls toward CarolinasThe U.S. National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane warning from South Santee River, South Carolina, to Surf City, North Carolina. "We are forecasting it to become a hurricane before it reaches the coast this evening," senior hurricane specialist Daniel Brown said. Authorities were getting ready in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, ordering swimmers out of the water to avoid rough surf and strong rip currents. Were from Michigan, so we get snow and go through it all," Aliyah Owens, who arrived in Myrtle Beach for a summer vacation Sunday, told WTBW-TV. Anything that can move we tie down or bring inside, Philo told The Sun News of Myrtle Beach.
GALLERY: SpaceX NASA crew returns to Earth after splashdown
Read full article: GALLERY: SpaceX NASA crew returns to Earth after splashdownAstronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken prepare to return to earth on a SpaceX capsule, Sunday Aug. 2, 2020. It will mark the first splashdown in 45 years for NASA astronauts and the first return in the gulf. (SpaceX via AP)Two NASA astronauts are now back on Earth after a dramatic splashdown on Sunday. If you missed the NASA splashdown event, or want to watch it again, click here. RELATED: SpaceX capsule and NASA crew make 1st splashdown in 45 years
A weakened Tropical Storm Isaias lashes virus-hit Florida
Read full article: A weakened Tropical Storm Isaias lashes virus-hit Florida(AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. Bands of heavy rain from Isaias lashed Florida's east coast Sunday while officials dealing with surging cases of the coronavirus kept a close watch on the weakened tropical storm. Authorities closed beaches, parks and virus testing sites, lashing signs to palm trees so they wouldn't blow away. In Indian River County, north of West Palm Beach, Florida, emergency shelters were clearing out Sunday after Isaias was downgraded to a tropical storm. A tropical storm warning was in effect from Hallandale Beach, Florida, to South Santee River, South Carolina, and for Florida's Lake Okeechobee. Curt Anderson in St. Petersburg, Cody Jackson in Palm Beach County, Florida, and Julie Walker in New York contributed.
WATCH: SpaceX capsule and NASA crew make 1st splashdown in 45 years
Read full article: WATCH: SpaceX capsule and NASA crew make 1st splashdown in 45 yearsThe return clears the way for another SpaceX crew launch as early as next month and possible tourist flights next year. Welcome back to planet Earth and thanks for flying SpaceX, said Mission Control from SpaceX headquarters. It was the first time a private company launched people into orbit and also the first launch of NASA astronauts from home turf in nearly a decade. SpaceX already had experience hauling cargo to the space station, bringing those capsules back to a Pacific splashdown. SpaceX needs six weeks to inspect the capsule before launching the next crew around the end of September.
Astronauts face final leg of SpaceX test flight: coming home
Read full article: Astronauts face final leg of SpaceX test flight: coming homeIn this image from video made available by NASA, astronauts Doug Hurley, left, and Bob Behnken prepare for undocking from the International Space Station, aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule on Saturday, Aug. 1, 2020. (NASA via AP)
Astronauts face final leg of SpaceX test flight: coming home
Read full article: Astronauts face final leg of SpaceX test flight: coming homeCAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. The first astronauts launched by Elon Musks SpaceX company departed the International Space Station on Saturday night for the final and most important part of their test flight: returning to Earth with a rare splashdown. Space station commander Chris Cassidy rang the ship's bell as Dragon pulled away, 267 miles (430 kilometers) above Johannesburg, South Africa. "It's been a great two months, and we appreciate all you've done as a crew to help us prove out Dragon on its maiden flight, Hurley radioed to the space station. The flag which also flew on the first shuttle flight in 1981 became a prize for the company that launched astronauts first. The next SpaceX crew flight is targeted for the end of September.
US astronauts pack up for rare splashdown in SpaceX capsule
Read full article: US astronauts pack up for rare splashdown in SpaceX capsuleThis image made available by NASA astronaut Bob Behnken on Friday, July 31, 2020, shows him inside the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft docked to the International Space Station. SpaceX and NASA plan to bring Behnken and Doug Hurley back Sunday afternoon, aiming for splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico just off the Florida Panhandle. (NASA via AP)
US astronauts pack up for rare splashdown in SpaceX capsule
Read full article: US astronauts pack up for rare splashdown in SpaceX capsuleThis image made available by NASA astronaut Bob Behnken on Friday, July 31, 2020, shows him inside the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft docked to the International Space Station. SpaceX and NASA plan to bring Behnken and Doug Hurley back Sunday afternoon, aiming for splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico just off the Florida Panhandle. (NASA via AP)
US astronauts pack up for rare splashdown in SpaceX capsule
Read full article: US astronauts pack up for rare splashdown in SpaceX capsuleAstronauts returning in the early 1970s from Skylab, NASAs first space station, did not feel well following splashdown, Hurley noted. Feeling sick is the way it is with a water landing, he said during the crews final news conference from the International Space Station. The capsule has been docked at the space station since May 31, allowing Hurley and Behnken to chip in with spacewalks and experiments. The plan is for the Dragon to undock from the space station on Saturday, a day before splashdown. We wont leave the space station without some good landing opportunities in front of us, good splashdown weather, Behnken told reporters.
Tropical storm may delay 1st SpaceX crew's return to Earth
Read full article: Tropical storm may delay 1st SpaceX crew's return to EarthOn Wednesday, July 29, 2020, SpaceX and NASA cleared the Dragon crew capsule to depart the International Space Station and head home after a two-month flight. (NASA via AP)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. Tropical weather barreling toward Florida could delay this weekends planned return of the first SpaceX crew. On Wednesday, SpaceX and NASA cleared the Dragon crew capsule to depart the International Space Station and head home after a two-month flight. SpaceX is already preparing to launch a second crew to the space station at the end of September. NASA wants six weeks between the splashdown and the launch of the next Dragon crew, for capsule inspections and reviews.
Astronaut says losing mirror on spacewalk was 'real bummer'
Read full article: Astronaut says losing mirror on spacewalk was 'real bummer'CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. The commander of the International Space Station said Monday that losing a mirror during last weeks otherwise successful spacewalk was a real bummer.NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy said he has no idea how the small mirror on his left sleeve came off. The band for the mirror is on pretty tight, he noted, and it may have caught on a metal tether attachment as he exited the airlock Friday. That was a real bummer for me.Hell use a spare for Wednesdays spacewalk, the second of four he and NASA astronaut Bob Behnken will do to replace old station batteries. Spacewalking astronauts wear a mirror on each sleeve to see the displays on their chest control panel. ___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education.
Spacewalking astronaut loses mirror, newest space junk
Read full article: Spacewalking astronaut loses mirror, newest space junkThis photo provided by NASA shows NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and NASA Flight Engineer Bob Behnken during a spacewalk outside the International Space Station on Friday, June 26, 2020. Cassidy and Behnken, are conducting the first of at least four spacewalks to replace the last bunch of old station batteries. (NASA via AP)
Spacewalking astronaut loses mirror, newest space junk
Read full article: Spacewalking astronaut loses mirror, newest space junkCAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. A spacewalking astronaut added to the pieces of junk orbiting the Earth on Friday, losing a small mirror as soon as he stepped out of the International Space Station for battery work. Commander Chris Cassidy said the mirror floated away at about a foot per second. Spacewalking astronauts wear a wrist mirror on each sleeve to get better views while working. Cassidy and Bob Behnken, who followed him out without mishap, were conducting the first of at least four spacewalks to replace the last bunch of old station batteries. ___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education.
SpaceX opens era of amateur astronauts, cosmic movie sets
Read full article: SpaceX opens era of amateur astronauts, cosmic movie setsAmateur astronauts, private space stations, flying factories, out-of-this-world movie sets this is the future the space agency is striving to shape as it eases out of low-Earth orbit and aims for the moon and Mars. But the future is incredibly exciting, NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren said the day before SpaceXs historic liftoff. The ticket price which includes 15 weeks of training and more than a week at the space station is about $55 million. Beginning in 2024, Axiom plans to build its own addition to the 260-mile-high (420-kilometer-high) outpost to accommodate its private astronauts. SpaceX still has to get NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken safely back to Earth this summer in its Dragon capsule.
Astronauts ring opening bell for Nasdaq from space station
Read full article: Astronauts ring opening bell for Nasdaq from space stationCORRECTS TO NASDAQ, NOT NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE - In this image from video made available by NASA, astronaut Chris Cassidy, right, rings the opening bell of the Nasdaq Stock Exchange accompanied by fellow astronauts Robert L. Behnken, left, and Doug Hurley in the International Space Station on Tuesday, June 2, 2020. (NASA via AP)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. The astronauts launched into orbit by SpaceX joined in the ringing of the opening bell for the Nasdaq on Tuesday to mark a pivotal moment" for the space economy. NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken took part in the ceremony from the International Space Station, three days after their launch by Elon Musks company. The two astronauts floated alongside space station commander Chris Cassidy as he rang a ships bell to open trading on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange. Their image, along with live-streamed pictures of other NASA staff, lit up the Nasdaq marquee in New York's Times Square.
SpaceXs astronaut-riding Dragon arrives at space station
Read full article: SpaceXs astronaut-riding Dragon arrives at space stationThe two astronauts will fly on a SpaceX test flight to the International Space Station. Once on board the space station, Hurley said the capsule, newly named Endeavour after the retired shuttle, handled extremely well. He was the pilot on the last U.S. spaceship to visit the space station the last shuttle flight, by Atlantis, in July 2011. Tremor was going to join Earthy, a plush globe delivered to the space station on last years test flight of a crew-less crew Dragon. Even so, getting the two astronauts safely to orbit and then the space station had everyone breathing huge sighs of relief.
'Back in the game': SpaceX ship blasts off with 2 astronauts
Read full article: 'Back in the game': SpaceX ship blasts off with 2 astronautsFor the first time in nearly a decade, astronauts will blast into orbit aboard an American rocket from American soil, a first for a private company. SpaceX becomes the first private company to launch people into orbit, a feat achieved previously by only three governments: the U.S., Russia and China. Thanks for the great ride to space, Hurley told SpaceX ground control. A SpaceX capsule exploded on the test stand last year. For SpaceX and the future of public-corporate space exploration, the stakes on Saturday were extraordinarily high.
Launch gives spectators pride, reprieve from troubled times
Read full article: Launch gives spectators pride, reprieve from troubled timesWere back in the race, as the SpaceX rocket lifted through clouds above Kennedy Space Center. Saturday's launch was the first of NASA astronauts from Florida since 2011, when the space shuttle program ended, and the first by a private company. Many spectators had been there just days earlier on Wednesday for the first launch attempt, which was scrubbed due to the weather. At Space View Park in Titusville, few spectators wore masks and there wasn't much social distancing. Now look at all the people who are here seeing astronauts leave from U.S. soil.___Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter: @MikeSchneiderAP
Dragon-riding astronauts join exclusive inner circle at NASA
Read full article: Dragon-riding astronauts join exclusive inner circle at NASAIt will be the first astronaut launch from NASAs Kennedy Space Center since the last shuttle flight in 2011. (SpaceX via AP)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. Astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken join NASAs exclusive inner circle by catching a ride on a SpaceX rocket and capsule. Their destination is the International Space Station, where theyll spend one to four months before guiding their capsule to a splashdown in the Atlantic. Wife Karen Nyberg, a former space station resident, retired two months ago from NASA. As joint operations commander, he'll oversee the Dragons rendezvous and docking with the International Space Station.