Mediaboss Marketing

The crew access arm is manuevered into place on the newly constructed tower at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now.

A crew access arm was lifted into place at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral on Monday, as SpaceX races to ready the pad for its first Crew Dragon launch with astronauts as soon as January.

Multiple sources tell SpaceFlight Now that Axiom Spaces third private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will likely mark the debut of the new tower, thanks to a packed schedule at Launch Complex-39A. The mission, commanded by former NASA astronaut Michael Lpez-Alegra, will send three European astronauts on a trip to the space station for up to 14 days.

Currently, SpaceX and Russias agency, Roscosmos, are the only tickets to the ISS and its the lone option currently in the United States until Boeings CST-100 Starliner spacecraft enters the rotation next year.

Not only that, but SpaceX currently only has one launch pad from which it can launch astronauts, as well as cargo missions, to the ISS: Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASAs Kennedy Space Center.

Over the course of 2023, SpaceX has been working to change that with the construction of a new crew and cargo access tower at its second Florida launch pad: Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at CCSFS.

If the tower isnt ready in time to support that mission, Ax-3 could still launch from LC-39A as all other SpaceX-flown astronaut missions have been going back to 2020. However, that would cause much more congestion on an already packed schedule for LC-39A.

Packed launch schedule

One of the key reasons why Ax-3 might be the mission that would debut the tower capabilities at SLC-40 is a pair of launches scheduled within days of each other that require the currently unique capabilities of LC-39A.

No earlier than Jan. 12, a Falcon 9 rocket will be used to launch the first Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) mission from Intuitive Machines. The Nova C lander flying to the Moons South Pole must be fueled at the launch pad using equipment only available at 39A.

In an interview with Spaceflight Now last month, IMs Vice President of Lunar Access Trent Martin said that they will also conduct a wet dress rehearsal several days before the launch.

We want to fuel as late as possible. SpaceX has been very accommodating and theyre providing us a service that gives us liquid oxygen, liquid methane, Martin said in October. Theyll fill up until the very last minute, so that were as full as possible and we have the highest chance of success at landing on the Moon.

Those launches are boxed in on either side by other high priority missions.

Starting Nov. 9, a Falcon 9 is scheduled to launch the 29th SpaceX Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-29) mission to the ISS, which will send thousands of pounds of cargo and science experiments up to the crew on orbit. That is expected to be followed by the fifth and final Falcon Heavy of 2023: the USSF-52 national security mission.

It takes about three weeks to convert the launch pad from a Falcon 9 to a Falcon Heavy configuration.

On the other side of Ax-3s roughly two-week mission, the SpaceX Crew-8 quartet are expected to launch no earlier than mid-February. Commander and NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick will lead the mission alongside pilot Michael Barratt, mission specialist Jeanette Epps and mission specialist Alexander Grebenkin.

Houston-based Axiom Space was planning to see its third commercial flight to the space station fly from pad 39A within a few days of the IM-1 launch and NASA wants it to go on schedule to avoid disrupting a busy space station traffic plan in early 2024. The IM-1 mission, which only has one, short launch window a month, could face long delays if it gets bumped out of its January window.

Having the option to launch Ax-3 from SLC-40 would allow SpaceX to meet all of their customers needs and accommodate more opportunities in a smaller timeframe. That of course, relies upon the crew and cargo access tower being ready in time.

On Monday, construction crews began hoisting the crew access arm into place using a series of cranes and harnesses. This is one of the last major components that needs to be in place, in addition to the emergency egress system, a zip-line-like escape system that would allow astronauts and support personnel to quickly get away from the tower, if needed.

In previous press conferences with NASA and SpaceX officials, said the tower should be finished with construction by the end of 2023.

Astronauts get priority

While the plan right now is for Ax-3 to use SLC-40 and IM-1 to use LC-39A, it all depends on the towers readiness. If that doesnt come to fruition in time though, sources tell Spaceflight Now that Ax-3 will get first priority to launch from LC-39A in January and the IM-1 mission would be delayed to a later date.

Even if the new tower doesnt get the clearance for use supporting Ax-3 in time for that mission, with increasing requests to launch more to the ISS and commercial space stations after that, it will certainly be a valuable asset for SpaceX and its customers heading into 2024 and beyond.

Excerpt from:

Private astronaut mission likely first to use SpaceX's new crew access tower Spaceflight Now - Spaceflight Now

Only have a minute? Listen instead

SpaceX has applied to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for a permit to release an average of up to 200,000 gallons of treated wastewater per day into South Bay at Boca Chica.

The environmental group Save RGV said residents should submit their public comments and/or requests for a public hearing immediately, with a presumed deadline of Nov. 7.

The treated wastewater would by piped directly from a proposed treatment facility located approximately 1,000 feet west of the intersection of State Highway 4/Boca Chica Boulevard and Remedios Lane, according to a Notice of Receipt of Application and Intent to Obtain Water Quality Permit TCEQ issued Sept. 8.

SpaceXs permit application is available for viewing and copying at the Port Isabel Public Library, 213 N. Yturria St. According to the application, SpaceX intends to re-use all treated water as reclaimed water, though in the unlikely event that 100 percent re-use cannot be accomplished, the reclaimed water will be discharged to South Bay.

TCEQ said in the notice that the agencys executive director has deemed the application administratively complete and will conduct a technical review of it.

After technical review of the application is complete, the Executive Director may prepare a draft permit and will issue a preliminary decision on the application, according to the notice. TCEQ said the public may submit comments regarding SpaceXs application and/or request a public meeting on the proposed wastewater treatment facility.

The purpose of a public meeting is to provide the opportunity to submit comments or ask questions about the application, according to the notice. TCEQ will hold a public meeting if the Executive Director determines that there is a significant degree of public interest in the application or if requested by a local legislator.

TCEQ said a public hearing is not the same as a contested case hearing, which is a legal proceeding similar to a civil trial in state district court. The executive director will consider and draft a response to all relevant and material, or significant public comments received by the deadline, according to the agency.

Unless the application is directly referred for a contested case hearing, the response to comments, and the Executive Directors decision on the application, will be mailed to everyone who submitted public comments and to those persons who are on the mailing list for this application, TCEQ said.

If comments are received, the mailing will also provide instructions for requesting reconsideration of the Executive Directors decision and for requesting a contested case hearing.

For details about the status of SpaceXs application go to tceq.texas.gov/goto/cid and search the database using Permit No. WQ0016342001.

Public comments and requests must be submitted electronically to www14.tceq.texas.gov/epic/eComment/ or in writing to TCEQ, Office of the Chief Clerk, MC-105, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, TX 78711-3087.

Read the rest here:

SpaceX applies for wastewater permit; unused treated water would flow into South Bay - Brownsville Herald

CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE The weather is looking pretty good for the late Thursday night SpaceX launch of over 20 satellites.

The companys Falcon 9 rocket is expected to leave Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 11:31 p.m. ET, stated SpaceX.

However, the California-based company has seven backup launch attempts from 12:05 a.m. ET until 2:59 a.m. ET, on Wednesday Nov. 8.

The 45th Weather Squadron is giving a less than 96% chance of good liftoff conditions, with the only worry being the cumulus cloud rule.

If, however, the launch is scrubbed or needs to be pushed back, the next attempt is Wednesday, Nov. 8, with eight backup attempts starting at 11:17 p.m. ET until 2:59 a.m. ET on Thursday, Nov. 9.

Going Up

The Falcon 9s first-stage booster for the Starlink 6-27 mission, affectionally named B1073, has 10 successful launches, not counting this one.

After the stage separation, the first-stage booster will land on the droneship Just Read the Instructions that will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

About the mission

Going into low-Earth orbit, the 23 Starlink satellites will eventually join the thousands in space that work to provide internet service.

The Starlink company is owned by SpaceX.

Before the launch, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Dr. Jonathan McDowell hasrecorded the following information about the Starlink satellites.

Follow this link:

Weather looks good for late-night SpaceX launch - News 13 Orlando

click to enlarge

Shutterstock / luckyluke007

Starship rockets sit at SpaceX's facility in Boca Chica, Texas.

SpaceX based in the South Texas town of Boca Chica has asked Texas regulators for permission to dump up to 200,000 gallons of treated waste and sewage water daily into South Bay, an aquaticsystem at the tip of the Laguna Madre, according to documents obtained by news site Border Report.

One of the few suchhyper-saline baysin the world, South Bay was designated the state's first coastal preserve some four decades ago, Border Report notes. Because of its unusually high saltiness, the shallow body of water is home to "severalendangered species of birds and sea turtles," according to the news organization.

In a permit application filed with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, SpaceX said it needs the option of unloading waste into South Bay because the company is expanding.

In paperwork obtained by Border Report, Musk's space exploration firm said it plans to treat and reuse as much of its wastewater as possible. However, [i]n the unlikely event that 100% reuse cannot be accomplished, the reclaimed water will be discharged to segment #2493 South Bay.

TCEQ is now taking comments about SpaceXs permit application, according to Border Report. As of last Thursday, the filing had racked up 155 comments, most of which oppose the project due to its potential environmental impact, the news site reports.

Mary Angela Branch, a board member of environmental group Save RGV, told Border Report the release of treated wastewater into the bay would be devastating to wildlife.

The ecosystem here is shallow oyster beds, larvae beds. Its a dolphin nursery and it supports every life form in this area migratory birds and year-round birds," she said. "This eco-system will be destroyed by the nutrients and algal growth from treated wastewater."

TCEQ is still reviewing the application and accepting comments on the project at its website. Those interested in commenting must include permit number WQ0016342001, according to Border Report.

Subscribe to SA Current newsletters.

Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter| Or sign up for our RSS Feed

Originally posted here:

Elon Musk's SpaceX wants to dump treated wastewater into South ... - San Antonio Current

Provocative Silicon Valley artist Agnieszka Pilat has strong beliefs regarding the intermingling of art, religion and technology, something that keeps her fertile muse alert amid multiple presentations, exhibitions and appearances at global events such as the recent TED AI 2023 conference in San Francisco.

The Polish-born Pilat's current SpaceX Artist-in-Residence program at the aerospace firm's Hawthorne, California facility will likely run through 2024 and comes right before a December exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria's Triennial in Australia. There, for three months, her black-and-yellow Boston Dynamics robodogs will be creating autonomous artwork via a series of pre-programmed instructions.

Her latest portraits involve meditative theological interpretations of an air-tight hatch installed on the SpaceX Dragon capsule, accented in gold leaf designed to evoke a feeling of serene holiness encircling the revered life-sustaining object.

Space.com connected with Pilat to discuss her inspiring hatch portraits at SpaceX, her philosophies about the revered role of machines in American culture, and how god-like AI technology can be cautiously employed to create a brighter future.

Related: FAA wraps up safety review of SpaceX's huge Starship rocket

Space.com: How did you land at SpaceX as an Artist-in-Residence and what does that program entail?

Agnieszka Pilat: The broad framework of my career is that I love technology and I follow tech companies to do something exciting. SpaceX doesn't have an official residency program so I didn't follow any invitation. For these tech companies, I usually find what I think is impactful and historically important and then I try to find my way in through personal introductions.

I have a studio space set up at SpaceX's Hawthorne facility. My first number of visits this year and the year before was painting portraits of a Dragon hatch. They're super generous and they'd roll in the hatch that astronauts actually use for training, so it's the same exact replica that goes to space.

I go to SpaceX a few times a year for a week and work every day. I created a series of portraits based on the hatch and now I'm excited because Starlink is such an important technology right now. My next body of work is leaning into working on Starlink and exploring what it means to the world in a larger context. I've also done a lot of stuff with Agility Robotics in Oregon, which is super fun, so I move around a lot.

Space.com: How did your work with your quadruped SPOT robot dogs began and what sort of statement are you trying to make with their artwork?

AP: The statement is that these robots, in human years, are like children. My intention working with SPOT and the robots is to show the age of the machine as something that's still growing up. It still doesn't have personality. I'm classically trained as a portrait painter, and as a portrait painter you look for likeness. But as a good painter, you look for the essence of the subject. Working with SPOT I realized very fast that they are like a baby or young kid. The personality is not there yet.

Space.com: You've previously stated that your artwork tries to communicate "the story of America told through machines and industry and innovation." How has that philosophical concept evolved and solidified over the years?

AP: I grew up in Eastern Europe and Europe. It's a class society and in the old times it was the aristocracy. When I came to America I realized the aristocracy and the power is in technology and machines. Michelangelo would be a court painter or work for the wealthy or the church.For me, if I were in Poland during Communist years, I'd be painting Stalin and the working class. In America, I'm a court painter of the machine. I don't work for Elon Musk or Boston Dynamics or Agility. The machine is my patron.

Space.com: What influential artists of the past helped form your artistic style?

AP: I grew up around Soviet art, and as much as the message behind it is dark, Russia is a very mystical place. When it comes to the skill of painting and telling stories, Ilya Repin has always been my hero. I learned to paint copying his paintings.

And you have to always throw in Andy Warhol. He understood and had those big trends reflecting what was happening in pop culture and I really respect that.

Space.com: What are you thoughts about the promise and perils of artificial intelligence and its integrations into art, entertainment and daily Earth life?

AP: A friend of mine in Silicon Valley says if it doesn't work, they call it AI, and if it does work it's just Google Maps. I'm generally optimistic. I just did a TED AI talk and the premise was that I think that artificial intelligence is still in the very early stages. It's a great challenge but also a great opportunity for us to engage with AI and decide which direction it's going to go. I look at AI just like my robots ... like a young child.

AI has a bit of the nature of a god because it knows us so well, better than we know ourselves, which a god would. It's also immortal and not confined to a place and a time unlike robots and machines that I work with. In that sense AI is a bit like a deity. My work at SpaceX really indicated that. All the paintings have gold leaf and are based visually on Christian iconography, with auras and halos around them. There's a duality of not just power but also the promise of the hope for a better future.

I'm really excited for my work to be connected to Starlink next year because of the amount of prayers and hopes that were put into Starlink. There are a lot of parallels between religion and AI and I find that kind of exciting.

See more of Agnieszka Pilat's work at her website.

See the original post:

SpaceX Artist-in-Residence on painting spacecraft and Starlink ... - Space.com