News Archive / Space Centers

• SOFIA data sheds new light on endurance of Pluto’s atmosphere

  Laurel KornfeldJune 1st, 2020

  Data captured by the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), an airborne observatory that studied Pluto’s atmospheric hazes just two weeks before New Horizons‘ 2015 flyby, indicates the hazes in Pluto’s atmosphere are regularly replenished.

• The drought is over: NASA and SpaceX successfully launch Demo-2

  Cullen DesforgesMay 30th, 2020

  History has been made and an almost nine-year drought has ended. SpaceX has successfully launched its first crewed mission, marking the beginning of a new era in human spaceflight. The SpaceX Crew Dragon is now officially on her way to the International Space Station for the first time with humans on board.

• Weather not favoring backup Demo-2 launch dates

  Patrick AttwellMay 28th, 2020

  Yesterday’s attempt to launch NASA’s and SpaceX’s Demo-2 mission to the International Space Station was plagued by weather issues that ultimately caused the attempt to be scrubbed. There remains the potential for weather complicate Saturday’s and Sunday’s launch attempts.

• Scrub! Historic Demo-2 mission delayed due to weather

  Cullen DesforgesMay 27th, 2020

  NASA’s historic Demo-2 mission has been scrubbed due to weather over the launch site and off the Florida coast. The next attempt is set to occur on Saturday, May 30 at 3:22 pm local time.

• CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen speaks on Crew Dragon, Demo-2

  Sean CostelloMay 27th, 2020

  On the morning of SpaceX’s scheduled Demo-2 launch, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen shared his thoughts about the final test flight of Crew Dragon, and what it means to him.

• SpaceX prepares to launch Demo-2, schedule and timeline released

  Cullen DesforgesMay 26th, 2020

  As the world waits with bated breath, the Falcon 9 carrying Crew Dragon stands tall once again on pad 39A, ready to be given the final go for launch.

• Demo-2 Launch Readiness Review complete, weather systems presenting as a ‘strange brew’

  Cullen DesforgesMay 25th, 2020

    NASA and SpaceX today completed the Launch Readiness Review for Demo-2, the next step in marching towards a May 27, 2020 planned launch date.

• US Space Force prepares for astronaut rescue missions

  Matt HaskellMay 22nd, 2020

  The 45th Operational Group, Detachment 3 stands ready to rescue Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley in the event their missions ends in an unexpected abort.

• Astronauts Behnken, Hurley arrive in Florida; only 7 days until Demo-2

  Michael McCabeMay 20th, 2020

  NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine and Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana welcomed the crew of the SpaceX Demo-2 mission to the Cape on May 20, 2020. Set to lift off in just 7 days, Demo-2 will be the first crewed launch from American soil since OV-104 Atlantis took her final flight on July 8, 2011. […]

• SpaceX to test sun visors on Starlink satellites

  Matt HaskellMay 19th, 2020

  SpaceX will test sun visors on one of their Starlink satellites on their next launch, currently planned for early June.

• ULA successfully launches Atlas V, X-37B spaceplane

  Theresa CrossMay 17th, 2020

  At 9:14 AM EDT, United Launch Alliance successfully launched an Atlas V rocket, lofting the X-37B spaceplane into orbit for the U.S Space Force.

• Launch of USSF-7 scrubbed due to weather

  Sean CostelloMay 16th, 2020

  Despite the availability of two 10-minute windows, United Launch Alliance was unable to loft the USSF-7 payload atop their Atlas V rocket due to weather violations in the launch criteria.

• ULA to launch the sixth flight of the X-37B

  Cullen DesforgesMay 15th, 2020

  United Launch Alliance will launch the USSF-7 mission early Saturday morning from Cape Canaveral for the United States Space Force.

• 45th Space Wing preparing for back to back launches

  Matt HaskellMay 14th, 2020

  This weekend, the 45th Space wing at cape Canaveral Air Force Station is poised for a modern era record turnaround in launches, as it prepares to launch a United Launch Alliance Atlas V with the USSF-7 X-37B from LC-41 on Saturday, and a SpaceX Falcon 9 with Starlink satellites from LC-40 on Sunday.

• Flight plans released for SpaceX’s Demo-2 crewed mission

  Cullen DesforgesMay 14th, 2020

  During a recent joint NASA / SpaceX Demo-2 mission press conference, a clear picture was painted as to what launch day activities and the ensuing flight of Crew Dragon will look like.

• Curiosity mission team operates rover from home

  Jim SharkeyMay 13th, 2020

  While the majority of scientists and engineers who work at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California are currently off-site, that doesn’t mean that their work supporting interplanetary missions has ground to a halt.

• James Webb Space Telescope to unlock wonders of the Universe.

  Theresa CrossMay 8th, 2020

  The James Webb Space Telescope will work to further uncover the mysteries of the Universe after it launches in 2021 from the Guiana Space Center aboard an Ariane 5 rocket

• Astronaut Bob Behnken will be one of two-person crew on Crew Dragon Demo-2 launch

  Laurel KornfeldMay 6th, 2020

  When NASA’s Crew Dragon Demo-2 launches astronauts from American soil for the first time since 2011, astronaut Robert L. “Bob” Behnken will ride on the spacecraft as the mission’s joint operations commander.

• Yevgeny Mikrin, General Designer of Russian space program, dead at age 64

  Sean CostelloMay 5th, 2020

  The Russian space community is mourning the tragic loss of their General Designer, with Roscosmos confirming today that Yevgeny Anatolyevich Mikrin died in hospital on May 5, 2020, at the age of 64.

• NASA selects three companies to develop lunar landers

  Cullen DesforgesMay 1st, 2020

                              NASA announced on April 30, 2020 that it had selected three companies to develop lunar landers for its Artemis program.