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This proposal essentially ends U.S. leadership and dominance in space research and space-based astronomy.

"NASA’s science budget could be cut nearly in half under an early version of President Donald Trump’s budget proposal to Congress, a move that would terminate billions of dollars’ worth of ongoing and future missions."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2025/04/11/nasa-science-budget-cuts-trump/

#UnitedStates#NASA#Research#Space

#NASA found that protective β€œchar layer” material from the heat shield wore away unexpectedly during reentry in more than 100 locations. The material cracked and broke off the #spacecraft in pieces, creating a trail of debris, instead of melting away as it was supposed to. The spacecraft heats πŸ”₯ up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit during reentryβ€”about half as hot as the surface of the sun β˜€οΈ. Some bolts on Orion also unexpectedly melted and eroded. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasas-orion-capsule-heat-shield-wore-away-in-more-than-100-places-during-2022-test-flight-posing-significant-risks-180984296/

#Orion#Artemis

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May 1, 2024 #Orion Heat Shield Char Loss After #Artemis I Mission https://oig.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/ig-24-011.pdf

#NASA

The #SLS and #Orion spacecraft projects are of such a scale that they spend money in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, creating #parochial interest in nearly every congressional district. It sounds like a straightforward argument: cancel the slow and outdated SLS and direct its $2.6 billion πŸ’° per year into novel public-private partnerships like #SpaceX’s #Starshiphttps://www.planetary.org/articles/why-we-have-the-sls

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#NASA found that protective β€œchar layer” material from the heat shield wore away unexpectedly during reentry in more than 100 locations. The material cracked and broke off the #spacecraft in pieces, creating a trail of debris, instead of melting away as it was supposed to. The spacecraft heats πŸ”₯ up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit during reentryβ€”about half as hot as the surface of the sun β˜€οΈ. Some bolts on Orion also unexpectedly melted and eroded. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasas-orion-capsule-heat-shield-wore-away-in-more-than-100-places-during-2022-test-flight-posing-significant-risks-180984296/

#Orion#Artemis

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#NASA’s Office of Inspector General issued a devastating πŸ‘Ž audit πŸ” of the program, which found that delays to the #SLS booster and engine contracts have resulted in an approximately $6 billion πŸ’°πŸ’°πŸ’°πŸ’°πŸ’°πŸ’° cost-overrun. The report further criticizes the use of #CostPlus contracts, a fee structure by which essentially all of the risk is taken on by the government. https://techcrunch.com/2023/07/13/congress-prepares-to-continue-throwing-money-at-nasas-space-launch-system/

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#Presidents support #NASA and do what NASA says. We could have orbiters around every planet πŸͺ in the #SolarSystem for a fraction πŸ“Š of the cost of #Artemis. But nobody gave us that option. The cost πŸ’° and time ⏳ spent on #SLS and #Orion have set the #SpaceProgram back 〽️ https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/14/opinion/nasa-moon-artemis.html

@lori_garver

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"Chance of 'city-killer' asteroid 2024 YR4 smashing into Earth rises yet again to 3.1%, #NASA reports" by @LiveScience - As astronomers' observations have narrowed the estimate of #asteroid#2024YR4's orbit, Earth's size is now a larger fraction of the reduced cross-section of possible paths. So probability goes up until impact is ruled out. 96.9% chance the eventually-narrowed path will eliminate impact with Earth. Computation continues. https://www.livescience.com/space/asteroids/chance-of-city-killer-asteroid-2024-yr4-smashing-into-earth-rises-yet-again-to-3-1-percent-nasa-reports #astronomy#LowFlyingRocks

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Months late: Suni Williams and Barry Wilmore back on earth

A few days on board the ISS turned into months for Suni Williams and Barry Wilmore due to problems with the Boeing Starline. Now they have returned.

https://www.heise.de/en/news/Months-late-Suni-Williams-and-Barry-Wilmore-back-on-earth-10320510.html?wt_mc=sm.red.ho.mastodon.mastodon.md_beitraege.md_beitraege&utm_source=mastodon

#ISS#NASA#Raumfahrt#SpaceX#Wissen #news

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As a reminder, in September I wrote an op-ed article for @AirlineReporter which explained #Starliner test pilot astronauts Wilmore and Williams were not "stranded" like airline passengers stuck in an unfamiliar terminal. It was a significant schedule change. But they're senior astronauts. Both retired from the US Navy at the rank of Captain. All astronauts make contingency plans for longer stays on orbit. They knew how to work as space station crew. https://spacey.space/@AstroHawk/113079672536029751#NASA#Crew9

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"NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Splashes Down Off Coast of Florida" by #NASA Space Station blog - Safe splashdown confirmed off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida. Boats with NASA & SpaceX crews will recover it from the water. https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/03/18/nasas-spacex-crew-9-splashes-down-off-coast-of-florida/#Crew9#SpaceX#CrewDragon#NewSpace

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"Expedition 72 Welcomes #Crew9 Duo Aboard Station" by @NASA @Commercial_Crew - #CrewDragon Freedom (one of fleet of 5) docked at #ISS. Now the Starliner astronauts have their ride home, but first part of its 6-month crew rotation. https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2024/09/29/expedition-72-welcomes-crew-9-duo-aboard-station/#NASA#CommercialCrew

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"NASA Adjusts Crew-10 Launch Date" by NASA (mirror bot @nasa ) - 1 month delay in #Crew10 launch due to commissioning work on a new #SpaceX#CrewDragon spacecraft from the Hawthorne factory. So #Crew9 return (including 2 #Starliner test pilots who launched in June) is delayed from February to March so outgoing Crew-9 can update incoming Crew-10. https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2024/12/17/nasa-adjusts-crew-10-launch-date/#NASA#CommercialCrew