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CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE SpaceX has successfully sent up Northrop Grummans Cygnus spacecraft, as it will carry more than 8,000 pounds of experiments and supplies to the International Space Station on Tuesday afternoon.

As the instantaneous launch window opened at 12:07 p.m. ET, the companys Falcon 9 rocket left from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, stated SpaceX.

If it did not go up, there was a backup launch attempt schedule for Thursday, Feb. 1, at 11:18 a.m. ET.

The first-stage booster landed at Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station after causing a cracking sonic boom that was heard for miles around.

NASA stated that the uncrewed Cygnus spacecraft that is being used in Northrop Grummans 20th Commercial Resupply Services (NG-20 mission) will be caught by the ISSs robotic arm at around 2:45 a.m. ET, on Thursday.

After capture, the spacecraft will be installed on the (the ISSs) Unity modules Earth-facing port, stated NASA.

The Cygnus spacecraft will stand on the module for about six months until it is released in May, where it will burn up in Earths atmosphere, the space agency noted.

The Falcon 9 first-stage booster that will be used for this mission is called B1077 and it already has nine successful missions to its name.

This will be Northrop Grummans 20th commercial resupply services mission to the ISS, but it will be the first time it will be riding on top of SpaceXs Falcon 9 rocket, stated NASA.

The multinational aerospace and defense technology company, based in Virginia, will be using its Cygnus cargo spacecraft, or freighter, for the mission.

Using the Cygnus in the past, Northrop Grumman has delivered more than 130,000 pounds of cargo total to the ISS.

Cygnus consists of a Service Module and a Pressurized Cargo Module that carries crew supplies, equipment and scientific experiments to destinations in low-Earth orbit, stated the company, adding that the spacecraft has met NASAs safety requirements.

The Cygnus spacecraft has been christened S.S. Patricia Patty Hilliard Robertson in honor of the late NASA astronaut, both Northrop Grumman and NASA stated. Robertson was supposed to fly to the ISS in 2002, but she died the year before in a private plane crash.

For the NG-20 mission, more than 8,200 pounds of supplies will be sent to the ISS. This includes science experiments, crew supplies and lab hardware for the famed floating laboratory.

Some of the highlighted experiments from both NASA and national and international partners and universities that will be sent up are:

Metal 3D printer: Among other things, it will 3D print small metal parts in microgravity.

Results could improve understanding of the functionality, performance, and operations of metal 3D printing in space, as well as the quality, strength, and characteristics of the printed parts, NASA described.

Modeling Atmospheric Re-entry: In an effort to protect experiments returning to Earth from the ISS and surviving the extreme heat of re-entry, this experiment will use three different heat shield materials and use different sensors to get data on the actual conditions of returning to Earth.

Remote Robotic Surgery: This small robot will be controlled remotely from NASA to perform surgical procedures. Before operating on a real person, with its two hands, it will hold on to and cut simulated tissue, among other things.

Researchers plan to compare procedures in microgravity and on Earth to evaluate the effects of microgravity and time delays between space and ground, NASA explained.

Growing Cartilage Tissue in Space: Janus Base Nano-Matrix (JBNm) and Janus Base Nanopiece (JBNp). JBNm is an injectable material that provides a scaffold for the formation of cartilage in microgravity, which can serve as a model for studying cartilage diseases. JBNp delivers an RNA-based therapy to combat diseases that cause cartilage degeneration, NASA explained.

Because microgravity can trigger cartilage degeneration, the research in microgravity could lead to faster treatments that can be both used in future missions to the moon and Mars but also here on Earth, NASA explained.

Get more details about the experiments here.

Excerpt from:

SpaceX launches Northrop Grumman resupply mission to ISS - News 13 Orlando

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Credit: SpaceX

CAPE CANAVERALA SpaceX Falcon 9 launched a Northrop Grumman Cygnus supply ship to the International Space Station (ISS) on Jan. 30, enabling its competitor to maintain cargo runs for NASA while development of a new first stage for Northrops Antares rocket is in work. The Falcon 9 lifted off at 12...

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SpaceX Launches Northrops Cygnus Cargo Ship To ISS - Aviation Week

SpaceX, Elon Musk's spacecraft and satellite company, has acquired a B737-800 through its Falcon Aviation Holdings unit.

N154TS (msn 30515) was registered to the company in August 2023, having been retired by previous operator Air China (CA, Beijing Capital) in July 2022. The 21.6-year-old aircraft was parked at Lake Charles Chennault through mid-December 2023. Although it has been blocked from ADS-B data tracking websites, the aircraft was subsequently seen at Washington Dulles, Orlando International, Los Angeles International, Victorville, and Brownsville airports, the last of which serves the SpaceX manufacturing and launch site at Boca Chica, TX.

Falcon Aviation Holdings has the same registration address as SpaceX in Hawthorne, CA.

The company's Gulfstream Aerospace executive jets are registered to Falcon Landing, a sister SPV with the same corporate address.

SpaceX did not respond to ch-aviation's request for comment. It is unclear whether the aircraft will be used as a corporate shuttle or a testbed for the company's products.

Read more:

SpaceX acquires a B737-800 - ch-aviation

WASHINGTON SpaceX launched Axiom Spaces third private astronaut mission Jan. 18, sending a veteran former NASA astronaut and three astronauts from European governments to the International Space Station.

A Falcon 9 lifted off at 4:49 p.m. Eastern from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and placed the Crew Dragon spacecraft Freedom into orbit. Freedom separated from the upper stage about 12 minutes after liftoff.

The launch had been scheduled for Jan. 17 but was delayed less than six hours before the scheduled liftoff when SpaceX announced it would take an additional day to complete pre-launch checkouts and data analysis on the vehicle.

SpaceX did not offer specifics on the delay, but both Axiom Space and NASA later said the delay was to provide more time to review parachute straps known as energy modulators in the Crew Dragon. SpaceX said in a Jan. 16 prelaunch briefing that they found issues with those straps, intended to regulate the load on the main parachutes when extracted from the capsule, during the return of the CRS-29 cargo Dragon mission in December. SpaceX said that may have been caused by twists in the straps, and technicians untwisted the energy modulators in the parachutes on this Crew Dragon before launch.

The spacecraft is scheduled to dock with the ISS Jan. 20 at 4:19 a.m. Eastern. It will remain docked to the station for about two weeks before returning to Earth with its four-person crew.

The Ax-3 mission is the third such mission organized by Axiom Space, which is using them to gain experience in spaceflight operations as it prepares to install commercial modules on the station that will later form the core of a standalone commercial space station upon the retirement of the ISS. Axiom flew Ax-1 in April 2022 and Ax-2 in May 2023.

Ax-3 is commanded by former NASA astronaut Michael Lpez-Alegra, who also commanded Ax-1. It is the sixth flight for Lpez-Alegra, who flew on three shuttle missions and one long-duration ISS mission while with NASA.

The other three members of the crew represent European governments. The pilot of Ax-3 is Walter Villadei, an Italian Air Force officer who trained as the backup pilot for Ax-2 and flew on Virgin Galactics first commercial flight of its VSS Unity suborbital spaceplane in June 2023.

The two mission specialists on Ax-3 are Alper Gezeravc of Turkey and Marcus Wandt of Sweden. Gezeravc is a pilot in the Turkish Air Force and is the first person from that country to fly to space. Wandt, a former Swedish Air Force pilot, is the second Swede to fly to space.

Wandt was selected a reserve astronaut by the European Space Agency in November 2022 and is the first person from that class to go to space. ESA and the Swedish space agency arranged for his flight as ESAs first short-term project astronaut. A second project astronaut, Polands Sawosz Uznaski, is expected to go the ISS as soon as later this year, also through Axiom Space.

Those missions are different from long-duration ISS missions and future Artemis missions flown by ESAs permanent astronaut corps. Its a fixed-term contract he has with the agency, while career astronauts have permanent contracts, said Daniel Neuenschwander, ESAs director of human and robotic exploration, of Wandt during a Jan. 11 media briefing. ESAs five new career astronauts will complete their training in April and some could be assigned to their first ISS missions as soon as May.

Derek Hassmann, chief of mission integration and operations at Axiom Space, said at the Jan. 16 prelaunch briefing that Axiom plans to continue flying short-duration private astronaut missions to the ISS at a pace of two a year through the launch of its first commercial module, now planned for late 2026. Ax-4 is tentatively planned for launch in the fall of 2024, but neither Axiom nor NASA have announced firm plans for missions beyond Ax-4.

NASA is supporting private astronaut missions as part of its broader strategy to stimulate development of commercial space stations intended to succeed the ISS when it is retired at the end of the decade. NASA awarded a contract to Axiom in 2020 giving it access to a docking port on the station for its commercial modules and has funded Space Act Agreements with Blue Origin and Voyager Space to support work on those companies station concepts.

I am certainly hopeful that they are going to be successful, said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson of private space station ventures on Axioms webcast of the Ax-3 launch. NASA, he noted, is counting on one or more commercial stations to be successful to support NASAs needs as well as other customers, so that NASA can focus on its lunar and Mars exploration ambitions.

Ax-3 featured the third flight of Freedom and the fifth of the Falcon 9 booster. Benji Reed, senior director of human spaceflight programs at SpaceX, said at the prelaunch briefing that while SpaceX plans to be able to fly Dragon spacecraft up to 15 times each, it is currently only using Falcon 9 boosters on crewed missions that have flown no more than five times, even as SpaceX pushes to extend the lives of those boosters to up to 40 missions.

When we feel comfortable expanding that envelope as well, well continue to work that with all of our customers, he said of booster reuse on crewed flights.

After the Crew Dragon reached orbit, Bill Gerstenmaier, SpaceXs vice president of build and flight reliability who is also chief engineer for the mission, called the crew. I think youre demonstrating the ultimate in reuse: a reused commander, a reused Dragon and a reused Falcon, he said. Or maybe flight-experienced is a better word.

See more here:

SpaceX launches third Axiom mission to ISS - SpaceNews

Update for Jan. 18: SpaceX is on track to launch Axiom Space's Ax-3 mission to the International Space Station at 4:49 p.m. EST (2149 GMT) today after delaying it by a day.

Watch it live here at Space.com; coverage will begin at 2:30 p.m. EST (1830 GMT) on Jan. 18.

SpaceX will launch an astronaut crew to the International Space Station Thursday (Jan. 18) on the private Ax-3 mission for Axiom Space, but if you're hoping to watch it live online, you'll need to know where and when. And for that, space fans, we've got what you need.

The Ax-3 mission, Axiom Space's third commercial spaceflight with SpaceX, will launch four astronauts to the ISS from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida aboard a Falcon 9 rocket and its Dragon spacecraft Freedom. Liftoff is scheduled for 4:49 p.m. EST (2149 GMT).

The Ax-3 mission is commanded by former NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria of Axiom Space, with Walter Villadei of the Italian Air Force serving as pilot. Turkey's first astronaut, Alper Gezeravc, and European Space Agency reserve astronaut Marcus Wandt round out the crew as mission specialists. Together, the four men will spend at least two weeks in space on their ISS mission. Here's how and when to watch them launch and dock at the orbiting lab.

Related: Meet the 4 astronauts of SpaceX's Ax-3 launch for Axiom Space

Currently, SpaceX aims to launch the Ax-3 astronauts into orbit on Thursday, Jan. 18, at 4:49 p.m. EST (2149 GMT) from Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Current weather forecasts call for a 80% of good conditions at launch time, according to the 45th Weather Squadron of the U.S. Space Force.

SpaceX has what it calls an "instantaneous window" in which to launch the Ax-3 mission. That means if the company cannot launch at that exact time, it will have to stand down until its next opportunity in order to reach the International Space Station. SpaceX's backup launch day may be possible on Friday, Jan. 19.

SpaceX and Axiom Space initially hoped to launch the Ax-3 mission in November 2023, but the flight slipped to January 2024 and then to mid-January as weather issues delayed a series of other SpaceX flights ahead of the mission. A planned Jan. 17 launch date was delayed to allow additional systems checks, SpaceX said.

Yes, you will be able to watch SpaceX's Ax-3 astronaut launch online for free. In fact, you have a few options. Space.com will simulcast the livestream live here starting at 2:30 p.m. EST (1830 GMT) and on our YouTube channel, as well.

SpaceX and Axiom Space will host their own joint webcast of the launch beginning at 2:30 p.m. EST (1830 GMT) on Jan. 18. You can follow those webcasts at the Axiom Space YouTube channel and on the SpaceX X account (formerly Twitter).

NASA's livestream will broadcast on NASA TV and NASA+. The agency will broadcast the SpaceX/Axiom Space program at 3:45 p.m. EST (2045 GMT). NASA's launch coverage will end about 15 minutes after liftoff.

SpaceX, Axiom Space and NASA will also offer live views of the Ax-3 Dragon spacecraft's docking at the International Space Station, which is scheduled to occur on Saturday, Jan. 20, at 5:15 a.m. EST (1015 GMT).

NASA's livestream of the docking will begin at 3:30 a.m. EST (0830 GMT) and run through docking itself. At about 7 a.m. EST (1200 GMT), the four Ax-3 astronauts will join the seven astronauts currently living on the International Space Station during a hatch opening ceremony.

Finally, at 7:35 a.m. EST (1235 GMT), the joint Ax-3 and station crew will host some welcome remarks before beginning their time together.

While SpaceX's launch of the Ax-3 astronauts will last just over 12 minutes from liftoff to its final event, the Axiom Space mission will last at least two weeks.

After liftoff, it should take about 2.5 minutes for the Falcon 9 rocket to reach stage separation, after which its first stage will return to Earth while the upper stage continues upward with the Dragon spacecraft. The first stage should land just under 8 minutes after liftoff at SpaceX's Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, according to a mission description.

The Dragon capsule will separate from the Falcon 9 upper stage about 12 minutes after liftoff, deploying its nose cone to expose its docking port less than a minute later.

SpaceX had at least one backup day set up in case it cannot launch the Ax-3 astronaut mission to the International Space Station on Jan. 17 as initially planned. Now the company is using that backup day with its latest launch target. A second backup day on Jan. 19 may also be available.

If a Jan. 18 launch isn't possible, SpaceX could potentially try again on Friday , Jan. 19, depending on the nature of any delay. The company has not officially announced Jan, 19 as another backup day, however. Like with the Jan. 17 date, SpaceX is expected to have an instantaneous window for a Jan. 18 launch attempt. There is a 80% chance of good weather for launch on Jan. 18, according to the 45th Weather Squadron.

If SpaceX is still unable to launch the Ax-3 mission on Jan. 18, then its next option will likely be on Friday, Jan. 19. Weather conditions are expected to be about the same, according to Space Force officials. The main concerns that day are thick cumulus clouds and the potential for SpaceX's Falcon 9 to fly through precipitation, the Space Force said. If SpaceX opts to target a potential Jan. 20 liftoff, weather forecasts predict a 95% chance of good weather.

More:

What time is the SpaceX Ax-3 astronaut launch for Axiom Space? How to watch it live today - Space.com