SPACEX CREW-8 ASTRONAUTS UNDOCK FROM ISS AFTER WEATHER DELAYS - SpaceX's Crew-8 quartet of astronauts departed the space station at last today (Oct. 23), following more than two weeks of weather-related delays. The Dragon spacecraft for SpaceX Crew-8, called Endeavour, undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) today at 5:05 p.m. EDT (2105 GMT), as the two spacecraft were flying 260 miles (418 kilometers) above the Pacific Ocean. Crew-8 is expected to splash down off the coast of Florida around 3:30 a.m. EDT (0730 GMT) on Friday (Oct. 25). NASA will livestream the splashdown on NASA+. A post-splashdown news conference is planned for later that morning. More (Source: Space.com - Oct 24)
SPACEX LAUNCHES 23 STARLINK BROADBAND SATELLITES TO ORBIT FROM FLORIDA - SpaceX launched 23 more of its Starlink internet satellites from Florida's Space Coast this evening (Oct. 23). A Falcon 9 rocket topped with 23 Starlink spacecraft lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station today. SpaceX had been targeting Tuesday (Oct. 22) but called that try off due to weather concerns. The Falcon 9's first stage came back to Earth about eight minutes after liftoff as planned, landing on the SpaceX drone ship "A Shortfall of Gravitas" in the Atlantic Ocean. More (Source: Space.com - Oct 24)
SPACEX SCRUBS STARLINK MISSION DUE TO POOR BOOSTER RECOVERY WEATHER, PIVOTS TO WEDNESDAY LAUNCH ATTEMPT - SpaceX stood down from launching another batch of 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station to low Earth orbit on Tuesday night. The company said poor weather conditions in the recovery area led to the decision. The Falcon 9 rocket launch comes on the heels of a week that saw the company launch a record six missions with four Falcon 9 rockets, one Falcon Heavy rocket and a Starship rocket, utilizing all four of its launch pads. More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Oct 23)
NASA, SPACEX ADJUST CREW-8 UNDOCKING DATE - Weather conditions near the multiple splashdown sites off Florida’s coast remain unfavorable for the return of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission from the International Space Station. Forecasts remain marginal for an undocking on Tuesday, Oct. 22, and Wednesday, Oct. 23. If weather conditions improve, NASA and SpaceX will target no earlier than 9:05 p.m. EDT, Oct. 22, for undocking from the space station. Based on the current forecast, conditions are expected to improve as the week progresses. More (Source: NASA - Oct 23)
BOEING-BUILT SATELLITE EXPLODES IN ORBIT, LITTERING SPACE WITH DEBRIS - Boeing seemingly can’t catch a break between the endless problems with the 737 Max and the Starliner’s failed crewed test flight. Intelsat announced on Monday that one of its satellites, built by Boeing, broke up in geostationary orbit. Multiple organizations are tracking the debris to avoid collisions and a potential cascading catastrophe. It’s unclear why the satellite exploded into at least 20 pieces. More (Source: MSN - Oct 23)
ARIANESPACE WILL LAUNCH THE EU’S COPERNICUS EO SENTINEL-1C SATELLITE - Earlier this month, Arianespace announced that the company will be launching the Sentinel-1C, a Copernicus satellite, for the European Commission within the scope of a contract signed with the European Space Agency (ESA). This mission will provide crucial environmental data for the planet, while also carrying out Arianespace’s commitment of guaranteeing Europe’s independent access to space. More (Source: SatNews - Oct 23)
BLOWING UP: INFLATABLE SPACE HABITATS COULD BE KEY TO EXPLORING THE SOLAR SYSTEM - It's high time to crank up the volume in space! That's the shout from several private firms that want to see an inflation factor for the future. What is now being evaluated and tested is the use of "softgoods" to fashion inflatable/expandable airlocks and off-Earth habitats, not only for low Earth orbit, but also to provide comfy housing for future moon and Mars explorers. More (Source: Space.com - Oct 22)
NASA, SPACEX CONTINUE WEATHER WATCH FOR CREW-8 RETURN - Weather conditions near the multiple splashdown zones off the coast of Florida remain unfavorable for the return of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission from the International Space Station. Mission managers continue to monitor conditions and will meet at 11 a.m. EDT Saturday, Oct. 19 for the next weather briefing. If weather conditions improve, NASA and SpaceX will target no earlier than 3:05 a.m., Monday, Oct. 21, for undocking from the space station. More (Source: NASA - Oct 21)
SPACEX LAUNCHES 20 STARLINK SATELLITES ON FALCON 9 ROCKET FROM CAPE CANAVERAL - Against the backdrop of a pink and purple sunset, SpaceX launched its third batch of Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit since Monday morning. It was able to overcome a blustery evening that at times saw wind gusts of more than 26 miles per hour. Liftoff of the Starlink 8-19 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station happened at 7:31 p.m. EDT (2331 UTC) on Friday, Oct. 18. More (Source: - Oct 20)
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