#NASA found that protective “char 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 🔥 up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit during reentry—about half as hot as the surface of the sun ☀️. 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

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#NASA found that protective “char 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 🔥 up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit during reentry—about half as hot as the surface of the sun ☀️. 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 👎 audit 🔍 of the program, which found that delays to the #SLS booster and engine contracts have resulted in an approximately $6 billion 💰💰💰💰💰💰 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 🪐 in the #SolarSystem for a fraction 📊 of the cost of #Artemis. But nobody gave us that option. The cost 💰 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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"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

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"NASA & SpaceX Update Crew-10 Launch, Crew-9 Return Dates" by NASA Commercial Crew - #NASA changed plans for #Crew10 launch to ISS to use #SpaceX#CrewDragon Endurance rather than a brand new still-unnamed spacecraft which requires more time for commissioning. Now targeting launch March 10, weeks earlier than previous plan. #Crew9 including the two Boeing #Starliner test pilots will return within a week after 10's arrival at ISS. https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2025/02/11/nasa-spacex-update-crew-10-launch-crew-9-return-dates/ #space

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#NASA experts still aren’t certain why the thrusters suddenly stopped working. After recording some $1.6 billion in cost overruns, #Boeing seems unlikely to ever make money on #Starliner. #CFO Brian West told investors that the company had a decision to make about future investment in the program after it fulfills its obligations to NASA for a half-dozen flights to the #ISS. https://fortune.com/2024/08/25/boeings-ceo-kelly-ortberg-starliner-writedown-nasa-spacex-cash-reserves/

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#Boeing is exploring a sale of #Starliner, but excludes the unit building #NASA's #SLS. The company's new #CEO said he wants Boeing "doing less and doing it better" https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/boeing-explores-sale-its-space-business-wsj-reports-2024-10-25/
It is not easy to turn a big #bureaucracy, and there will undoubtedly be friction and pain points. But the opportunity here is enticing: #NASA should not be competing with things that private industry is already doing better, such as launching big rockets. Rather, it should find difficult research and development projects at the edge of the possible. https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/12/how-did-the-ceo-of-an-online-payments-firm-become-the-nominee-to-lead-nasa

#SLS#Artemis

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#NASA is losing four key senior officials close to its #Artemis moon 🌙 program. Hundreds of NASA employees have accepted buyout offers from the #Trump administration. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/key-nasa-officials-departure-casts-more-uncertainty-over-us-moon-program-2025-02-19

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#Moon 🌙 scouts will all be #robotic, designed to build a foundation for #astronauts 👨‍🚀 to follow about two years later. There is need for transporting 🚀 large masses of equipment and materials from #Earth. An #IntuitiveMachines lander is set to reach the Moon later this year. #NASA’s #JPL will release a “swarm” of robot-explorers equipped with stereo cameras 📹 and charged with creating photorealistic #3D maps 🗺️ of the #lunar terrain https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinholdenplatt/2024/04/27/robot-explorers-futuristic-spacex-starships-set-to-transform-the-moon/

#SpaceRobot#SpaceLogistics#Starship

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• 📆 2018, #ISS became the first facility to produce #BECs ⚛️ in #space 🌌
• In #space, so-called cool flames 🔥 can burn for minutes
#ISS water 💦 purification system deployed across #India 🇮🇳, #Mexico 🇲🇽, #Pakistan🇵🇰
#StemCells regenerative medicine ⚕️ could repair/replace failing organs and cells
• Higher quality protein crystals
#Microbes 🦠 can extract metals from #regolith
• Tissue/organ-on-a-chip effects faster in #microgravity
#3Dprinting
• Organ growth
https://interestingengineering.com/lists/13-science-breakthroughs-experiments-iss

#NASA

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📆 2025 Lunar Gateway #NASA#ESA#CSA #JAXA
📆 2025 Haven-1 #VastSpace
📆 2026 Axiom Station #AxiomSpace
📆 2026 StarMax #Gravitics
📆 2026 LIFE Pathfinder #SierraSpace
📆 2027 Russian Orbital Service Station #Roscosmos
📆 2028 Starlab #NanoRacks#VoyagerSpace#Airbus#MDASpace#Mitsubishi
📆 second half 2020s Orbital Reef #BlueOrigin#SierraSpace
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_space_stations#Planned_and_proposed

#SpaceStation #launch

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#Competition accelerates #innovation : "What if we actually build a #SpaceStation, launch 🚀 it in #orbit, have a crew 👨‍🚀 of four go to it, spend two weeks at least in the space station, and come back home safely…before the U.S. #government makes their decision?” (in 📆 2026) https://youtu.be/us_V_e0-NVs?feature=shared&t=205

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2025/02/vast-interview-2025

#Vast#NASA

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#NASA#Orion #radiation protection plan 🗒️ "astronauts will position themselves in the central part of the crew module and #create a #shelter using the stowage bags 🛍️ on board. The crew would in some cases need to stay inside for as long as 24 hours ⌛ https://www.nasa.gov/missions/artemis/orion/scientists-and-engineers-evaluate-orion-radiation-protection-plan/

#HumanSpaceflightHealth#RadiationProtection#Artemis#LunarGateway