KENNEDY SPACE CENTER

Crew Dragon parachutes successfully deploy during latest development test that simulated a pad abort, where the vehicle is tumbling at low altitude before parachute deploy, validating SpaceX’s parachute models and margins.

Hurricane Dorian skirted the coast of Kennedy Space Center on Sept. 3 and 4. A few days before, the Mobile Launcher, atop the crawler-transporter, was moved from Launch Pad 39B back to the Vehicle Assembly Building as a precaution. Kennedy Director Bob Cabana presented awards to NASA and contractor employees during the center's annual NASA KSC Honor Awards Ceremony on Sept. 10.

Every member of the NASA team is critical to our success, even if they're still finishing school. In this episode, we hear from two of our summer interns, Amber George and Peter Henson, during their first week here and their first impressions.

This week, a mechanical engineer representing the Artemis generation is one of only nine current drivers of NASA's crawler-transporter, and U.S. radio host Tom Joyner visits Kennedy for a panel discussion about the agency's Moon to Mars plans.

A major milestone was achieved with the release of the Gateway Logistics Services request for proposals. And Northrop Grumman will assemble and test its new OmegA rocket inside Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building.

NASA has a vested interest in an unusually high number of test flights this year. In this episode, we unpack the need and value of test flights with Jon Cowart, as well as dig into the recent, successful, second test of Orion’s Launch Abort System with Carlos Garcia.

Kennedy Space Center scientist Gioia Massa was among 18 NASA engineers and researchers who received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. And the center's Research and Technology Programs hosted a two-day workshop focusing on robotics and automation in space crop production.

This week in space news, NASA, Boeing and United Launch Alliance rehearsed an escape and triage simulation in the unlikely event of an emergency. The exercise involved two NASA astronauts and one astronaut candidate practicing safely escaping Launch Complex 41 and reaching a nearby staging area for medical attention. Also this week, Kennedy’s iconic Vehicle Assembly Building received a “Test of Time” architectural award.

Vice President Mike Pence visited Kennedy Space Center on the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission. Also, SpaceX successfully launched CRS-18 from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

NASA launch commentator Derrol Nail talks with Bill Spetch, deputy manager of the International Space Station, transportation integration office at NASA, after the successful SpaceX CRS-18 launch. A Falcon 9 rocket, carrying a Dragon capsule filled with about 5,000 pounds of supplies and experiments, lifted off from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Thursday, July 25, at 6:01 p.m. It will arrive at the space station on Saturday morning.

Dragon's solar arrays are deployed as the spacecraft begins its journey to the International Space Station. SpaceX's 18th Commercial Resupply Services mission lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Florida’s Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 6:01 p.m. EDT on July 25, 2019. On the CRS-18 mission, the Dragon spacecraft will deliver about 5,000 pounds of science and research, crew supplies and hardware to the orbiting laboratory.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon spacecraft lifts off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 6:01 p.m. EDT on July 25, 2019. This is SpaceX’s 18th Commercial Resupply Services mission for NASA to the International Space Station. On the CRS-18 mission, the uncrewed Dragon spacecraft will deliver about 5,000 pounds of science and research, crew supplies and hardware to the orbiting laboratory.

At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, SpaceX's Headquarters in Hawthorne, California, and Mission Control at Johnson Space Center in Houston, the live broadcast begins for the countdown and liftoff of SpaceX’s 18th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station. Launch is scheduled for 6:01 p.m. EDT on July 25, 2019, from Launch Complex 40 at Florida’s Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

Weather proved to be too much to overcome as SpaceX's CRS-18 launch from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station was scrubbed. The next attempt is set for tomorrow, July 25, at 6:01 p.m. SpaceX's 18th resupply mission will deliver supplies and experiments to the International Space Station.

At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, SpaceX's Headquarters in Hawthorne, California, and Mission Control at Johnson Space Center in Houston, the live broadcast begins for the countdown and liftoff of SpaceX’s 18th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station. Launch is scheduled for 6:24 p.m. EDT on July 24, 2019, from Launch Complex 40 at Florida’s Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

NASA celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission by hosting multiple events at Kennedy Space Center.

NASA has been nominated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for Outstanding Interactive Program for its coverage of SpaceX’s Demonstration Mission 1 as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. The nomination is a result of years of preparation for the historic launch and multiple live broadcasts from NASA and SpaceX facilities across the country during each phase of the Crew Dragon’s mission to the International Space Station and its stunning return to Earth. Throughout NASA’s coverage, the agency engaged social media users around the world and at local social media influencer gatherings at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Most International Space Station payloads are delivered to Kennedy Space Center's Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF), which has played an integral role in spaceflight for a quarter century.

Exploration Ground Systems conducted a water flow test with the mobile launcher at Launch Complex 39B, reaching a peak flow rate of 1.1 million gallons per minute. Kennedy employees marked the 50th anniversary of the first lunar landing, Apollo 11, while helping those in need during the 2019 Feds Feed Families campaign. This year's theme is "The Moon Lights the Way."

A successful water flow test with the mobile launcher at Kennedy Space Center’s Pad 39B on July 2, 2019, put NASA one step closer to returning astronauts to the Moon by 2024, with the goal of sending humans to Mars. It was the first of nine tests to verify the sound suppression system is ready for launch of NASA’s Space Launch System for the first Artemis mission. Approximately 450,000 gallons of water was released from an elevated water tank and distributed through large diameter piping and valves to water nozzles located in the Pad B flame deflector, the mobile launcher flame hole and on the launcher’s blast deck in just 45 seconds. That’s enough water to fill 45 residential swimming pools! The system reached a peak flow rate of 1.1 million gallons per minute.

NASA looks back at the Apollo era and ahead at future Artemis missions to the Moon. Check out Episode 12: From Apollo to Artemis, read the full transcript and catch up on missed episodes at https://www.nasa.gov/kennedy/rocketranch.

This week in space news, the Orion launch abort system is put to the test in a demonstration of its safety capabilities and the mobile launcher makes its final solo journey to Launch Pad 39B – two important milestones in NASA’s preparations for Artemis missions to the Moon.

A fully functional Launch Abort System (LAS) with a test version of the Orion spacecraft attached, launches on NASA’s Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) atop a Northrop Grumman provided booster on July 2, 2019, at 7 a.m. EDT, from Launch Pad 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. During AA-2, the booster will send the LAS and Orion to an altitude of 31,000 feet at Mach 1.15 (more than 1,000 mph). The flight test will prove that the abort system can pull crew to safety in the unlikely event of an emergency during ascent.

This week in space news, several NASA payloads launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket on the Department of Defense's Space Test Program-2 mission. Also, International Docking Adapter 3 was packed into the trunk of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft ahead of its July launch to the International Space Station on the company's 18th commercial resupply mission.

A small CubeSat, called StangSat, created by students at Florida's Merritt Island High School, with support by mentors from Kennedy Space Center, is ready to launch on the upcoming Space Test Program-2 mission. Engineers are prepping the mobile launcher for its next big move atop the crawler-transporter to Launch Pad 39B for a fit check and testing so the ML is ready to support the uncrewed Artemis 1 mission.

From Apollo 10 and the Saturn V rocket to Artemis 1 and the Space Launch System, Launch Pad 39B is revamped for the next generation to Explore the Moon and on to Mars. Check in at the Kennedy Space Center and get fired up for launch!

This week in space news, Kennedy Space Center employees attended a presentation on how Florida natives affected, and were affected by, Atlantic World events from 1492 to today. Also, Kennedy held its annual Hurricane Awareness Briefing, focusing on preparation being key.

Exploration is in our DNA – the desire to discover and inhabit distant worlds, whether across Earthly oceans or vast regions of space. It also is critical to the continuation of our species. Humanity must build a path to an Earth-independent existence. Come with us to the place where humans left earth for another world and explore the challenges associated with human space flight.

The United Launch Alliance Atlas V booster for Boeing's Crew Flight Test on the CST-100 Starliner arrived aboard the company's Mariner cargo ship at nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. And Northrop Grumman's abort motor for NASA's Artemis 1 uncrewed test flight arrived at the Launch Abort System Facility for processing.

Under NASA's Commercial Crew Program, the agency is working with The Boeing Company and SpaceX to launch U.S. astronauts, on a U.S. vehicle from U.S. soil once again. Check out the latest progress on training, testing and assembly throughout the spring as we prepare to return human spaceflight to America.

NASA senior leaders provided an update on the Exploration campaign, current missions and NASA's operating model initiatives during a Town Hall session at Kennedy Space Center; NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine gave the keynote address at Florida Tech's Space Technology Day; and Boeing's CST-100 Starliner was put to the test at NASA's White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico. NASA

This week in space news, Orion's launch abort system moves to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 46 to prepare for its upcoming flight test, Ascent Abort-2. Also, Kennedy Space Center hosts the "Apollo - Then and Now" media day in anticipation of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine unveiled the $1.6 billion budget increase for fiscal year 2020 and the Moon 2024 mission to the workforce during an agencywide town hall meeting. Afterwards, Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana updated the KSC workforce about the NASA budget amendment and how the programs at the center will support the agency's efforts to land humans on the Moon by 2024.

NASA’s latest exploration goals center on returning humans to the Moon – not just for a visit, but to stay. At the center of that plan is Gateway. It’s a small lunar outpost that will have living quarters, laboratories for science and research, docking ports for visiting spacecraft, and more.

With crewed missions approaching, NASA and commercial companies Boeing and SpaceX view safety as a top priority. As both companies prepare to send humans to the International Space Station, some safety measures taking place include testing flight hardware, preparing for emergency situations and rehearsing crew rescue techniques. Music Courtesy of Gothic Storm Music

This week in space news, a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft arrived to the International Space Station after a successful May 4 launch of the company’s 17th Commercial Resupply Services mission. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40, propelling the Dragon spacecraft – carrying research equipment, cargo and supplies – to the space station. Also, four honorees were distinguished as Chroniclers for their contributions to spreading the news of space exploration during a ceremony May 3 at the Florida spaceport’s NASA News Center.

Take a road trip to Explore Kennedy Space Center and get an inside look at the Crawler Transporter 2. Before the SLS does the heavy lifting to get Orion to the Moon in 2024, the Crawler does the heavy lifting here on Earth. Music Courtesy of Gothic Storm Music

Dragon's solar arrays are deployed as the spacecraft begins its journey to the International Space Station on SpaceX's 17th Commercial Resupply Services mission. Liftoff occurred at 2:48 a.m. EST on May 4 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40 in Florida.

The SpaceX CRS-17 Dragon spacecraft separated from the company's Falcon 9 rocket as it continues on the 17th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station. Liftoff took place at 2:48 a.m. EST at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40 in Florida.

Countdown and liftoff of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company's Dragon spacecraft onboard for the company's 17th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station. Launch occurred at 2:48 a.m. EST on May 4 from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, SpaceX's Headquarters in Hawthorne, California, and Mission Control Houston at Johnson Space Center, the live broadcast begins for the second attempt of the SpaceX 17th Commercial Resupply Services mission. Launch is scheduled for 2:48 a.m. EST, May 4, from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft await launch on the company's 17th commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station, and the engine vertical installer for NASA’s Space Launch System rocket arrives at Kennedy.

Daren Etienne, information technology specialist lead with NASA's Kennedy Space Center's Exploration Research and Technology Programs, supports civil servants, contractors and commercial partners, as they develop new technology that will help the agency go forward to the Moon, Mars and beyond.

This week in space news, NASA and the Department of Defense conduct at-sea training exercises with the Boeing CST-100 Starliner training capsule. Also, spaceport officials and employees pay tribute to NASA astronaut Owen Garriott, a veteran of two spaceflights, who died April 15 at the age of 88.

In December 2018, a Rocket Lab Electron rocket launched from remote Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand carrying a NASA payload of 10 small satellites called Educational Launch of Nanosatellites-19 (ELaNa-19). The Electron is one of two vehicles NASA selected for its Venture Class Launch Service, in which small satellites, called CubeSats, fly on rockets designed especially for their needs. In this documentary, learn how the first launch of the Venture Class era demonstrates how the right ride into space can enable the designers of small satellites—from high schools and universities to NASA field centers—to dream big. To launch with ELaNa, visit http://www.nasa.gov/elana. Music Courtesy of Gothic Storm Music

Water is the foundation of life on Earth and researchers at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center are using lessons from Mother Nature to develop methods of purifying water for deep space missions that can be used to clean the water here on Earth. This technology could help eliminate some of the causes of water pollution, harmful algal blooms and fish kills.

This week in space news, Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson led her team in the first countdown simulation of loading cryogenic liquid propellants into the Space Launch System rocket, and the spaceport hosts a sustainability expo during its annual Earth Day celebration. Also, the 2019 Chief Technologist Innovation Call, "Innovation Without Boundaries," is now open. NASA civil servant and contractor employees can submit their most innovative ideas with a chance to earn cash rewards.

This week in space news, Florida Lt. Governor Jeanette Nunez toured Kennedy Space Center's Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building. During the tour, Nunez was shown NASA's Orion spacecraft, which will be flown on the agency's uncrewed Exploration-Mission 1 (EM-1) and crewed EM-2. Also, former astronauts Jim Buchli and Janet Kavandi were inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame during a ceremony held inside the Space Shuttle Atlantis attraction at Kennedy's visitor complex.

Former astronauts Jim Buchli and Janet Kavandi are inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame Class of 2019 during a ceremony on April 6, 2019, inside the Space Shuttle Atlantis attraction at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida.