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SPACEX

Space station astronauts resume normal operations after Russian anti-satellite missile test

Astronauts at the International Space Station have returned to normal operations after a couple of adrenalin-filled days following a Russian anti-satellite missile test that threw an out-of-control cloud of space debris into the station's orbit. Hatches leading to modules farther away from the space station's core were opened Wednesday (Nov. 17) at about 1:20 a.m (EST), NASA said in a statement, giving astronauts once again a little bit more life space. During the shutdown, which started early Monday (Nov. 15), the Japanese Kibo module, the European Columbus module, the Bigelow inflatable habitat as well as NASA's Permanent Multipurpose Module and the Quest airlock were all sealed off. NASA said that during the first three days after the destructive incident, the space station didn't have to perform any space junk-dodging maneuvers. The highest risk of collision has now passed, the agency added. Related: Space debris from Russian anti-satellite missile test spotted in telescope images and video

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In photos: SpaceX's Crew-3 astronaut launch for NASA

On Nov. 10, 2021, SpaceX launched four astronauts to the International Space Station on the Crew-3 mission for NASA. Liftoff occurred at 9:03 p.m. EST from NASA's Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.The Crew-3 mission marked SpaceX's fifth crewed spaceflight and the fourth astronaut mission for NASA. Crew-3 launched NASA astronauts Raja Chari, Tom Marshburn, Kayla Barron and European Space Agency astronaut Matthias Maurer. It is the first spaceflight for Chari, Barron and Maurer, though Marshburn has flown before.Check out SpaceX's stunning nighttime launch of the Crew-3 mission here, as well as photos from the flight, by clicking the arrows above. In this image: The four astronauts of SpaceX's Crew-3 mission for NASA strike a pose in their launch suits ahead of launch. They are: (from left) ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer, mission specialist; NASA astronauts Tom Marshburn, pilot; Raja Chari, commander; and Kayla Barron, mission specialist.

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Two space fans get seats on billionaire's private flight

Isaacman also revealed some details about his Inspiration4 mission, as the four gathered Tuesday at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Their SpaceX Dragon capsule — currently parked at the International Space Station for NASA — will launch no earlier than mid-September, aiming for an altitude of 335 miles (540 kilometers). That’s 75 miles (120 kilometers) higher than the International Space Station and on a level with the Hubble Space Telescope. AdThe capsule will be outfitted with a domed window in place of the usual space station docking mechanism for their trip. The St. Jude physician assistant was treated there as a child for bone cancer.

Rocket debris lights up skies over the Pacific Northwest

In this image taken from video provided by Roman Puzhlyakov, debris from a SpaceX rocket lights up the sky behind clouds over Vancouver, Wash. Thursday evening, March 25, 2021. The remnants of the second stage of the Falcon 9 rocket left comet-like trails as they burned up upon re-entry in the Earth's atmosphere according to a tweet from the National Weather Service. SEATTLE – Burning debris from a rocket lit up Pacific Northwest skies Thursday night, the National Weather Service in Seattle said. The rocket delivered Starlink satellites, built in Redmond, Washington, into orbit earlier this week, the Times reported. SpaceX said Wednesday that the Falcon 9’s first stage returned to Earth and landed as planned on its ocean-going barge off the coast of Florida.

Agency finds that Elon Musk tweet violated federal labor law

Musk has tweeted his way into trouble with another federal agency, this time the National Labor Relations Board. Board members ordered Tesla to make Musk delete the tweet and stop threatening employees with loss of benefits for supporting a labor organization. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)DETROIT – Tesla CEO Elon Musk has tweeted his way into trouble with another federal agency, this time the National Labor Relations Board. Board members ordered Tesla to make Musk delete the tweet and stop threatening employees with loss of benefits for supporting a labor organization. Other than the back pay, Tesla faces no financial penalties, the UAW said.

Not a comet or UFO! SpaceX rocket launch dazzles in predawn sky

ROANOKE, Va. – At 6:01 Sunday morning, SpaceX launched yet another rocket in its StarLink mission. The trail left behind was enough to make you think that a) you were seeing things or b) it was some sort of comet. The sun’s light, low on the horizon, was enough to provide an extra glow to the rocket and its vapor trail. Keep scrolling below for more pictures, videos and a timelapse of the launch as seen from Virginia and Maryland. Video submitted by Phillip Hurt in RoanokePicture submitted by Justin Bayes in CascadePhoto of the SpaceX rocket launch as seen from Cascade - Justin Bayes (Copyright 2021 by WSLS 10 - All rights reserved.)

SpaceX Starship lands upright, then explodes in latest test

In this image from video made available by SpaceX, one of the company's Starship prototypes fires its thrusters as it lands during a test in Boca Chica, Texas, on Wednesday, March 3, 2021. Two previous test flights crash-landed in fireballs. The shiny bullet-shaped rocketship remained intact this time at touchdown, prompting SpaceX commentator John Insprucker to declare, “third time’s a charm as the saying goes” before SpaceX ended its webcast of the test. One day, the true measure of success will be that Starship flights are commonplace.”Musk plans to use Starships to send people to the moon and Mars. Each of these last three test flights lasted 6 1/2 minutes.

Space station launch honors 'Hidden Figures' mathematician

The rocket is delivering cargo to the International Space Station. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A space station supply ship named after the Black NASA mathematician featured in the movie “Hidden Figures” rocketed into orbit Saturday, the 59th anniversary of John Glenn's historic launch. Northrop Grumman's Cygnus capsule — dubbed the S.S. Katherine Johnson — should reach the International Space Station on Monday following its launch from Virginia's eastern shore. He noted that the space station flew over Virginia just 10 minutes ahead of Saturday's launch. The capsule also holds 120,000 tiny roundworms for a muscle experiment, as well as off-the-shelf computer equipment to increase data processing speed at the space station.

Tesla buys $1.5B in Bitcoin, will accept as payment soon

Tesla says it has invested more than $1 billion in Bitcoin and will accept the digital currency as payment for its electric vehicles. Electric automaker Tesla said Monday that it has invested around $1.5 billion in Bitcoin and it plans to begin accepting the digital currency as payment for its high-end vehicles soon. The price of Bitcoin soared 15.4% to around $44,500 Monday in reaction to Tesla's announcement, according to CoinBase. Bitcoin has drawn enthusiasts for its scarcity and security, but the volatile digital currency still is not widely used to pay for goods and services. It's mostly been a store of value, like gold, with some limited merchants like Overstock accepting bitcoin for payment.

US billionaire buys SpaceX flight to orbit with 3 others

Isaacman announced Monday, Feb. 1, 2021, that he aims to use the trip to raise more than $200 million for St. Jude. (St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital via AP)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A U.S. billionaire who made a fortune in tech and fighter jets is buying an entire SpaceX flight and plans to take three “everyday” people with him to circle the globe this year. A female health care worker for St. Jude already has been selected for the mission. Anyone donating to St. Jude in February will be entered into a random drawing for seat No. While Isaacman and wife, Monica, managed to keep his space trip hush-hush over the months, their daughters couldn’t.

Cable trouble dogs spacewalkers in European lab upgrades

In this image taken from NASA video, NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins works outside the International Space Stations European lab on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021. Hopkins and Victor Glover went spacewalking Wednesday to install a high-speed data link outside the International Space Stations European lab and connect cables for an experiment platform awaiting activation for almost a year. (NASA via AP)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Spacewalking astronauts encountered cable trouble Wednesday while attempting to make improvements to the International Space Station’s European lab. Elsewhere on the lab, Glover could not hook up all the power and data cables on a science research platform that's been awaiting activation for almost a year. Hopkins and Glover will perform a second spacewalk on Monday to complete battery upgrades to the station’s solar power grid.

Cheers! French wine, vines headed home after year in space

This photo provided by NASA shows SpaceX's Dragon undocking from International Space Station on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021. SpaceX's Dragon cargo capsule undocked with 12 bottles of Bordeaux wine and hundreds of snippets of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon vines. Space Cargo Unlimited, a Luxembourg startup behind the experiments, wanted the wine to age for an entire year up there. Through a series of space experiments, Space Cargo Unlimited hopes to take what’s learned by stressing the plants in weightlessness and turn that into more robust and resilient plants on Earth. SpaceX is the only shipper capable of returning space station experiments and other items intact.