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By NASA
NASA and Boeing welcomed Starliner back to Earth following the uncrewed spacecraft’s successful landing at 10:01 p.m. MDT Sept. 6, 2024, at the White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico. Credit: NASA NASA and Boeing safely returned the uncrewed Starliner spacecraft following its landing at 10:01 p.m. MDT Sept. 6 at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico, concluding a three-month flight test to the International Space Station.
“I am extremely proud of the work our collective team put into this entire flight test, and we are pleased to see Starliner’s safe return,” said Ken Bowersox, associate administrator, Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Even though it was necessary to return the spacecraft uncrewed, NASA and Boeing learned an incredible amount about Starliner in the most extreme environment possible. NASA looks forward to our continued work with the Boeing team to proceed toward certification of Starliner for crew rotation missions to the space station.”
The flight on June 5 was the first time astronauts launched aboard the Starliner. It was the third orbital flight of the spacecraft, and its second return from the orbiting laboratory. Starliner now will ship to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for inspection and processing.
NASA’s Commercial Crew Program requires a spacecraft to fly a crewed test flight to prove the system is ready for regular flights to and from the orbiting laboratory. Following Starliner’s return, the agency will review all mission-related data.
“We are excited to have Starliner home safely. This was an important test flight for NASA in setting us up for future missions on the Starliner system,” said Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. “There was a lot of valuable learning that will enable our long-term success. I want to commend the entire team for their hard work and dedication over the past three months.”
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams launched on June 5 aboard Starliner for the agency’s Boeing Crewed Flight Test from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. On June 6, as Starliner approached the space station, NASA and Boeing identified helium leaks and experienced issues with the spacecraft’s reaction control thrusters. Following weeks of in-space and ground testing, technical interchange meetings, and agency reviews, NASA made the decision to prioritize safety and return Starliner without its crew. Wilmore and Williams will continue their work aboard station as part of the Expedition 71/72 crew, returning in February 2025 with the agency’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission.
The crew flight test is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The goal of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program is safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station and low Earth orbit. This already is providing additional research time and has increased the opportunity for discovery aboard humanity’s microgravity testbed, including helping NASA prepare for human exploration of the Moon and Mars.
Learn more about NASA’s Commercial Crew program at:
https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew
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Joshua Finch / Jimi Russell
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / james.j.russell@nasa.gov
Leah Cheshier
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
leah.d.cheshier@nasa.gov
Steve Siceloff / Danielle Sempsrott / Stephanie Plucinsky
Kennedy Space Center, Florida
321-867-2468
steven.p.siceloff@nasa.gov / danielle.c.sempsrott@nasa.gov / stephanie.n.plucinsky@nasa.gov
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Last Updated Sep 07, 2024 EditorJessica TaveauLocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
Commercial Crew International Space Station (ISS) ISS Research View the full article
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By NASA
Artist’s rendering of NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech NASA will hold a media teleconference at 4 p.m. EDT, Monday, Sept. 9, to provide an update on Europa Clipper, a mission that will study whether Jupiter’s moon Europa could be hospitable to life. The teleconference will occur after a key decision point meeting earlier that day regarding next steps for the mission.
Audio of the teleconference will stream live on the agency’s website at:
https://www.nasa.gov/live
Participants in the teleconference include:
Nicola Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters Laurie Leshin, center director, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory Curt Niebur, Europa Clipper program scientist, NASA Headquarters Jordan Evans, Europa Clipper project manager, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory To ask questions during the teleconference, media must RSVP no later than two hours before the event to Molly Wasser at: molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov. NASA’s media accreditation policy is available online.
Europa Clipper’s main science goal is to determine whether there are places below the surface of Jupiter’s icy moon that could support life. The mission’s objectives are to understand the nature of Europa’s ice shell and the ocean beneath it, as well as to study the moon’s composition and geology. A detailed exploration of Europa also will help astrobiologists better understand the potential for habitable worlds beyond our planet.
To learn more about Europa Clipper, visit:
https://europa.nasa.gov
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Karen Fox / Molly Wasser
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov
Gretchen McCartney
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-393-6215
gretchen.p.mccartney@jpl.nasa.gov
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Last Updated Sep 06, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
Europa Clipper Jupiter Science Mission Directorate View the full article
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By NASA
On the left, the Canopee transport carrier containing the European Service Module for NASA’s Artemis III mission arrives at Port Canaveral in Florida, on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, before completing the last leg of its journey to the agency’s Kennedy Space Center’s Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout via truck. On the right, NASA’s Pegasus barge, carrying several pieces of hardware for Artemis II, III, and IV arrives at NASA Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39 turn basin wharf on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. Credit: NASA From across the Atlantic Ocean and through the Gulf of Mexico, two ships converged, delivering key spacecraft and rocket components of NASA’s Artemis campaign to the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
On Sept. 3, ESA (European Space Agency) marked a milestone in the Artemis III mission as its European-built service module for NASA’s Orion spacecraft completed a transatlantic journey from Bremen, Germany, to Port Canaveral, Florida, where technicians moved it to nearby NASA Kennedy. Transported aboard the Canopée cargo ship, the European Service Module—assembled by Airbus with components from 10 European countries and the U.S.—provides propulsion, thermal control, electrical power, and water and oxygen for its crews.
“Seeing multi-mission hardware arrive at the same time demonstrates the progress we are making on our Artemis missions,” said Amit Kshatriya, deputy associate administrator, Moon to Mars Program, at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “We are going to the Moon together with our industry and international partners and we are manufacturing, assembling, building, and integrating elements for Artemis flights.”
NASA’s Pegasus barge, the agency’s waterway workhorse for transporting large hardware by sea, ferried multi-mission hardware for the agency’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, the Artemis II launch vehicle stage adapter, the “boat-tail” of the core stage for Artemis III, the core stage engine section for Artemis IV, along with ground support equipment needed to move and assemble the large components. The barge pulled into NASA Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39B Turn Basin Thursday.
The spacecraft factory inside NASA Kennedy’s Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building is set to buzz with additional activity in the coming months. With the Artemis II Orion crew and service modules stacked together and undergoing testing, and engineers outfitting the Artemis III and IV crew modules, engineers soon will connect the newly arrived European Service Module to the crew module adapter, which houses electronic equipment for communications, power, and control, and includes an umbilical connector that bridges the electrical, data, and fluid systems between the crew and service modules.
The SLS rocket’s cone-shaped launch vehicle stage adapter connects the core stage to the upper stage and protects the rocket’s flight computers, avionics, and electrical devices in the upper stage system during launch and ascent. The adapter will be taken to Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building in preparation for Artemis II rocket stacking operations.
The boat-tail, which will be used during the assembly of the SLS core stage for Artemis III, is a fairing-like structure that protects the bottom end of the core stage and RS-25 engines. This hardware, picked up at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, will join the Artemis III core stage engine section housed in the spaceport’s Space Systems Processing Facility.
The Artemis IV SLS core stage engine section arrived from NASA Michoud and also will transfer to the center’s processing facility ahead of final assembly.
Under the Artemis campaign, NASA will land the first woman, first person of color, and its first international partner astronaut on the lunar surface, establishing long-term exploration for scientific discovery and preparing for human missions to Mars. The agency’s SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft, and supporting ground systems, along with the human landing system, next-generation spacesuits and rovers, and Gateway, serve as NASA’s foundation for deep space exploration.
For more information on NASA’s Artemis missions, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/artemis
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Rachel Kraft
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
Rachel.h.kraft@nasa.gov
Allison Tankersley, Antonia Jaramillo Botero
Kennedy Space Center, Florida
321-867-2468
Allison.p.tankersley@nasa.gov/ antonia.jaramillobotero@nasa.gov
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By European Space Agency
The two new Galileo satellites launched in April have entered service, completing the second of three constellation planes. With every addition to the constellation, the precision, availability and robustness of the Galileo signal is improved. The next launch is planned in the coming weeks and the remaining six Galileo First Generation satellites will join the constellation in the next years.
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By NASA
4 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
The Dash 7 aircraft that will be modified into a hybrid electric research vehicle under NASA’s Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration project is seen taking off from Moses Lake, Washington en route to Seattle for a ceremony unveiling its new livery. The aircraft is currently operating with a traditional fuel-based propulsion system but will eventually be modified with a hybrid electric system. NASA / David C. Bowman Parked under the lights inside a hangar in Seattle, a hybrid electric research aircraft from electric motor manufacturer magniX showed off a new look symbolizing its journey toward helping NASA make sustainable aviation a reality.
During a special unveiling ceremony hosted by magniX on Aug. 22, leaders from the company and NASA revealed the aircraft, with its new livery, to the public for the first time at King County International Airport, commonly known as Boeing Field.
The aircraft is a De Havilland Dash 7 that was formerly used for carrying cargo. Working under NASA’s Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration (EPFD) project, magniX will modify it to serve as a testbed for hybrid electric aircraft propulsion research.
The company’s goal under EPFD is to demonstrate potential fuel savings and performance boosts with a hybrid electric system for regional aircraft carrying up to 50 passengers. These efforts will help reduce environmental impacts from aviation by lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
This livery recognizes the collaborative effort focused on proving that hybrid electric flight for commercial aircraft is feasible.
“We are a research organization that continues to advance aviation, solve the problems of flight, and lead the community into the future,” said Robert A. Pearce, associate administrator for NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate. “Through our EPFD project, we’re taking big steps in partnership to make sure electric aviation is part of the future of commercial flight.”
Lee Noble, director for NASA’s Integrated Aviation Systems Program (right) and Robert Pearce, associate administrator for NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (middle) chat with an AeroTEC test pilot for the Dash 7. Battery packs are stored along the floor of the cabin for magniX’s hybrid electric flight demonstrationsNASA / David C. Bowman Collaborative Effort
NASA is collaborating with industry to modify existing planes with new electrified aircraft propulsion systems. These aircraft testbeds will help demonstrate the benefits of hybrid electric propulsion systems in reducing fuel burn and emissions for future commercial aircraft, part of NASA’s broader mission to make air travel more sustainable.
“EPFD is about showing how regional-scale aircraft, through ground and flight tests, can be made more sustainable through electric technology that is available right now,” said Ben Loxton, vice president for magniX’s work on the EPFD project.
Thus far, magniX has focused on developing a battery-powered engine and testing it on the ground to make sure it will be safe for work in the air. The company will now begin transitioning over to a new phase of the project — transforming the Dash 7 into a hybrid electric research vehicle.
“With the recent completion of our preliminary design review and baseline flight tests, this marks a transition to the next phase, and the most exciting phase of the project: the modification of this Dash 7 with our magniX electric powertrain,” Loxton said.
To make this possible, magniX is working with their airframe integrator AeroTEC to help modify and prepare the aircraft for flight tests that will take place out of Moses Lake, Washington. Air Tindi, which supplied the aircraft to magniX for this project, will help with maintenance and support of the aircraft during the testing phases.
The Dash 7 that will be modified into a hybrid electric research vehicle under NASA’s Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration project on display with its new livery for the first time. In front of the plane is an electric powertrain that magniX will integrate into the current aircraft to build a hybrid electric propulsion system.NASA/David C. Bowman Creating a Hybrid Electric Aircraft
A typical hybrid electric propulsion system combines different sources of energy, such as fuel and electricity, to power an aircraft. For magniX’s demonstration, the modified Dash 7 will feature two electric engines fed by battery packs stored in the cabin, and two gas-powered turboprops.
The work will begin with replacing one of the aircraft’s outer turboprop engines with a new, magni650-kilowatt electric engine – the base of its hybrid electric system. After testing those modifications, magniX will swap out the remaining outer turboprop engine for an additional electric one.
Earlier this year, magniX and NASA marked the milestone completion of successfully testing the battery-powered engine at simulated altitude. Engineers at magniX are continuing ground tests of the aircraft’s electrified systems and components at NASA’s Electric Aircraft Testbed (NEAT) facility in Sandusky, Ohio.
By rigorously testing these new technologies under simulated flight conditions, such as high altitudes and extreme temperatures, researchers can ensure each component operates safely before taking to the skies.
The collaboration between EPFD, NASA, GE Aerospace, and magniX works to advance hybrid electric aircraft propulsion technologies for next-generation commercial aircraft in the mid-2030 timeframe. NASA is working with these companies to conduct two flight demonstrations showcasing different approaches to hybrid electric system design.
Researchers will use data gathered from ground and flight tests to identify and reduce certification gaps, as well as inform the development of new standards and regulations for future electrified aircraft.
“We at NASA are excited about EPFD’s potential to make aviation more sustainable,” Pearce said. “Hybrid electric propulsion on a megawatt scale accelerates U.S. progress toward its goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, benefitting all who rely on air transportation every day.”
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Last Updated Sep 03, 2024 EditorJim BankeContactMichael Jorgensen Related Terms
Aeronautics Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate Electrified Powertrain Flight Demo Glenn Research Center Green Aviation Tech Integrated Aviation Systems Program View the full article
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