HOUSTON — It’s hard to beat an in-person launch experience — especially if you’re watching in Mission Control, the literal hub of NASA’s human spaceflight program. Reporters and flight directors gathered here at NASA’s Johnson Space Center on Thursday (March 21) at a big control room screen to watch SpaceX launch its 30th robotic cargo […]
Read MoreTag: Human Spaceflight
I toured NASA’s Mission Control ahead of Boeing’s 1st Starliner astronaut flight. Here’s what it was like (exclusive)
HOUSTON — It’s hard to beat an in-person launch experience — especially if you’re watching in Mission Control, the literal hub of NASA’s human spaceflight program. Reporters and flight directors gathered here at NASA’s Johnson Space Center on Thursday (March 21) at a big control room screen to watch SpaceX launch its 30th robotic cargo […]
Read MoreAstronauts’ mementos packed on Boeing Starliner for crew flight test
A NASA astronaut who had the honor of naming her spacecraft will fly items inspired by that name when she launches to the International Space Station next month. Sunita “Suni” Williams, who is set to fly with fellow NASA astronaut Barry “Butch” Wilmore on Boeing’s first Crew Flight Test (CFT) of its CST-100 Starliner capsule, […]
Read More‘Space headaches’ are a literal pain for astronauts. Why do they happen?
Spaceflight can be a real headache — literally. Since the days of the Apollo program, astronauts have reported experiencing head pain during their stint in microgravity. And many of them had never dealt with recurrent headaches on Earth. It seems that something about space travel sometimes triggers migraine or tension headache–like symptoms, including pain, sensitivity to light and occasionally […]
Read MoreBoeing’s 1st Starliner astronaut flight test for NASA could launch as soon as May 1
HOUSTON — NASA has a new spaceship ready to carry astronauts. Agency officials said today (March 22) that NASA is ready to go ahead at last with the first astronaut test launch aboard Boeing Starliner. Commander Barry “Butch” Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams, both veteran astronauts, will launch on Starliner to the International Space Station […]
Read MoreBoeing begins fueling Starliner capsule ahead of 1st astronaut launch
Boeing has started fueling up its Starliner capsule ahead of the vehicle’s first-ever astronaut launch. That mission, called Crew Flight Test (CFT), is currently scheduled to launch in early May atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, on Florida’s Atlantic coast. It will send NASA astronauts Suni Williams […]
Read MoreNew NASA astronauts ‘thrilled’ to see 1st Boeing Starliner crew launch in May (exclusive)
A new spacecraft will at last launch its first crew in May, and a fresh group of NASA astronauts say they’re excited to support it. NASA’s newest astronaut group graduated from basic training on March 5, just in time for the first Boeing Starliner test launch with astronauts, which is now expected in May. Veteran […]
Read MoreThomas Stafford, NASA astronaut who led Apollo-Soyuz joint mission, dies at 93
Former NASA astronaut Thomas Stafford, who flew to the moon before leading the first international space mission carried out by the United States and Russia, has died at the age of 93. Stafford’s death on Monday (March 18) came after an extended illness, according to Max Ary, director of the Stafford Air and Space Museum […]
Read More‘Like planning a giant wedding:’ How NASA astronaut Anil Menon helped SpaceX with 1st U.S. splashdown in 45 years (exclusive)
NASA’s Anil Menon got splashdown practice with SpaceX even before he joined the astronaut corps. Menon was part of the medical team supporting Demo-2, the first astronaut mission SpaceX ever flew. Demo-2’s Crew Dragon capsule made a historic return to Earth on Aug. 2, 2020. It was the first time an American spacecraft splashed down […]
Read MoreWatch SpaceX’s Crew-7 astronaut mission for NASA return to Earth March 12 in this free livestream
The four astronauts of SpaceX’s Crew-7 mission will return to Earth early Tuesday morning (March 12), and you can watch their homecoming live. Crew-7’s Dragon capsule, named Endurance, undocked from the International Space Station on Monday (March 11) after the astronauts’ 6.5-month stay on the orbiting laboratory. If all goes according to plan, the spacecraft […]
Read MoreWatch SpaceX’s Crew-7 astronaut mission for NASA return to Earth today in this free livestream
The four astronauts of SpaceX’s Crew-7 mission will return to Earth early Tuesday morning (March 12), and you can watch their homecoming live. Crew-7’s Dragon capsule, named Endurance, undocked from the International Space Station on Monday (March 11) after the astronauts’ 6.5-month stay on the orbiting laboratory. If all goes according to plan, the spacecraft […]
Read MoreSpaceX’s Crew-7 astronaut mission for NASA returns to Earth safely today
The four astronauts of SpaceX’s Crew-7 mission returned to Earth early Tuesday morning (March 12), with their homecoming broadcast live. Crew-7’s Dragon capsule, Endurance, splashed down at 5:50 a.m. EDT (0950 UTC) off the coast of Pensacola, Florida. The recovery crew arrived at the capsule around three minutes later, with thermal cameras tracking the recovery […]
Read MoreSpaceX’s Crew-7 astronaut mission for NASA returns to Earth safely today (video)
The four astronauts of SpaceX’s Crew-7 mission returned to Earth early Tuesday morning (March 12), with their homecoming broadcast live. Crew-7’s Dragon capsule, Endurance, splashed down at 5:50 a.m. EDT (0950 UTC) off the coast of Pensacola, Florida. The recovery crew arrived at the capsule around three minutes later, with thermal cameras tracking the recovery […]
Read MoreSpaceX’s Crew-7 capsule returns 4 astronauts to Earth with predawn splashdown (video)
The four astronauts of SpaceX’s Crew-7 mission returned to Earth early Tuesday morning (March 12), with their homecoming broadcast live. Crew-7’s Dragon capsule, Endurance, splashed down at 5:50 a.m. EDT (0950 UTC) off the coast of Pensacola, Florida. The recovery crew arrived at the capsule around three minutes later, with thermal cameras tracking the recovery […]
Read MoreChina will launch giant, reusable rockets next year to prep for human missions to the moon
China plans to launch two reusable rockets in 2025 and 2026 in preparation for future crewed missions to the moon. The upcoming launches are part of a new lunar program introduced by the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. (CASC), the main contractor for the Chinese space program, that will be “key” to China’s goal […]
Read MoreNew UAE astronauts prepare for Ramadan and family reunions: report
The United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) newest astronauts are looking forward to family reunions as Ramadan approaches, according to a media report. UAE Space Agency astronauts Nora AlMatrooshi and Mohammad AlMulla both graduated from basic training on Tuesday (March 5) alongside 10 NASA astronauts, in a ceremony near Johnson Space Center in Houston. In the last […]
Read MoreNASA, Boeing delay Starliner capsule’s 1st astronaut launch to early May
The long-delayed first crewed mission of Boeing’s new Starliner capsule has been pushed back again. That mission to the International Space Station (ISS), called Crew Flight Test (CFT), had been tentatively scheduled to launch in mid-April. But that’s no longer the plan, NASA and Boeing announced on Friday (March 8). CFT is “currently scheduled to […]
Read MoreNASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson ‘super-pumped’ for 3rd space mission (exclusive video)
A NASA astronaut says she can’t wait to welcome a new spacecraft to her home in space during her next mission, which is scheduled to lift off this month. NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson will launch toward the International Space Station (ISS) from Kazakhstan aboard the Russian Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft no earlier than March 21, […]
Read MoreAstronauts celebrate mentorships and milestones on International Women’s Day (exclusive)
New NASA astronaut Jessica Wittner has spent a lifetime in the military, where she has always seen fewer women than men. To Wittner, who graduated from basic astronaut training with nine other NASA colleagues on Tuesday (March 5), the big lesson learned is to encourage all genders to “follow your dreams,” even as obstacles arise. […]
Read MoreAstronauts celebrate mentorships and milestones on International Women’s Day 2024 (exclusive)
New NASA astronaut Jessica Wittner has spent a lifetime in the military, where she has always seen fewer women than men. To Wittner, who graduated from basic astronaut training with nine other NASA colleagues on Tuesday (March 5), the big lesson learned is to encourage all genders to “follow your dreams,” even as obstacles arise. […]
Read MoreFly me to the moon: NASA accepting astronaut applications (video)
NASA wants a new group of astronauts to explore the moon and maybe even Mars. Astronaut applications to NASA are due on April 2, giving U.S. citizens the chance to fly to the moon and maybe even to Mars if selected. The requirements are steep: A master’s degree in science, technology, engineering or math; three […]
Read MoreIs it time for a new Outer Space Treaty? Reports of Russian nuclear space weapon raise questions
In February 2024, reports of a planned Russian nuclear space weapon renewed Cold War-era fears of the militarization of Earth’s orbit. The furor began when U.S. House Intelligence Committee chair Mike Turner (R-Ohio) issued a public statement asking President Biden to declassify all information relating to a space-based nuclear weapon that Russia is reportedly developing. The […]
Read MoreNASA graduates new astronaut class as it begins recruiting for more
“The Flies” are ready to fly, so NASA is again in need of some new flyboys (and gals). On the same day that the space agency welcomed its latest class of astronauts, nicknamed “The Flies,” into its corps, NASA announced it is again accepting applications for its next group of candidates for flights to the […]
Read MoreWatch Chinese astronauts fix Tiangong space station solar wing in 8-hour spacewalk (video)
A pair of Chinese astronauts spent eight hours outside their space station last weekend to carry out repairs on the facility. It was the second extravehicular activity, or spacewalk, of the ongoing Shenzhou 17 crewed mission and the 14th overall carried out at China’s Tiangong space station. Astronaut Jiang Xinlin opened the Wentian experiment module […]
Read MoreVR could help astronauts avoid seasickness during splashdown and recovery
Last month, the next four moon astronauts practiced an ocean recovery after a long mission. In the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, the astronauts of Artemis 2 were assisted out of a mockup Orion spacecraft to learn how to exit safely after their crewed round-the-moon mission, slated to lift off in September 2025. […]
Read MoreSpaceX Crew-8 astronaut mission: Live updates
Read the latest news about SpaceX’s Crew-8 mission to the International Space Station for NASA.
Read MoreNASA’s next astronaut class graduates March 5, and you can watch it live (video)
NASA’s latest group of astronaut candidates will graduate Tuesday (March 5) alongside two candidates from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and you can watch it live. NASA Group 23 of astronaut candidates, informally known as “The Flies”, will become eligible for space missions alongside the second astronaut candidate group from the UAE. You can watch […]
Read MoreWatch NASA’s next astronaut class graduate today in this free livestream (video)
NASA’s latest group of astronaut candidates will graduate today (March 5) alongside two candidates from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and you can watch it live. NASA Group 23 of astronaut candidates, informally known as “The Flies”, will become eligible for space missions alongside the second astronaut candidate group from the UAE. You can watch […]
Read MoreCrew-8’s adorable ‘family dog’ plushie is SpaceX’s latest zero-g indicator
Three American astronauts, a Russian cosmonaut and a small English Springer Spaniel are now on their way to the International Space Station. The four members of SpaceX’s Crew-8 mission, who launched aboard the Dragon spacecraft “Endeavour” on Sunday night (March 3), continued a five-year (and one-day) custom of bringing with them a doll to show […]
Read MoreCrew-8’s ‘family dog’ plush is SpaceX’s latest zero-g indicator
Three American astronauts, a Russian cosmonaut and a small English Springer Spaniel are now on their way to the International Space Station. The four members of SpaceX’s Crew-8 mission, who launched aboard the Dragon spacecraft “Endeavour” on Sunday night (March 3), continued a five-year (and one-day) custom of bringing with them a doll to show […]
Read MoreHow do astronauts use the bathroom in space?
“Do it in the suit.” Those were the disconcerting words that the first American in space, Alan Shepherd, heard on May 5, 1961, when he advised the launch pad team he needed to urinate. Shepherd did as instructed, urinating in his spacesuit, short-circuiting his electronic biosensors. Shepherd’s spacesuit hadn’t been outfitted with a urine collection […]
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