Boeing astronauts Butch, Suni still support Starliner spacecraft, despite its malfunctions
Though their roughly weeklong Boeing Starliner test flight last June pivoted into an unexpected 286-day stay in low-Earth orbit, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams still support the oft-criticized spacecraft.
In fact, Wilmore said Starliner has the most capability compared with the SpaceX Dragon and NASA’s Orion capsule, considering Starliner’s ability to maneuver automatically and manually in all phases of flight. And he said Starliner could perform a barrel roll over the top of the International Space Station.
SpaceX pushing boundaries: Fram2 crew launches from Kennedy Space Center to polar orbit
Lightning flashed in the distance as a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off Kennedy Space Center Pad 39A, carrying a Dragon spacecraft with four astronauts on a journey no other space traveler has taken — an orbit around Earth’s poles.
The rocket lifted off at 9:46 p.m. Monday, making it off the launch pad just as storms rolled off shore. The Falcon 9 flew right into a 90-degree circular orbit. In the 64 years of humans launching to space, this has never been done.
What we know so far: Fram2 orbits Earth’s poles in SpaceX astronaut mission of firsts
It looked like a scene from an action movie: lightning flashed in the distance as a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Kennedy Space Center Pad 39A.
“Go for launch,” a voice on the SpaceX livestream called out seconds before the rocket soared into the sky Monday night. Atop that Falcon 9 was a Dragon spacecraft carrying four first-time astronauts on a journey no other space traveler has taken — an orbit around Earth’s poles.
Amazon’s first Project Kuiper satellites to launch atop ULA Atlas V with 5 rocket boosters
United Launch Alliance crews are targeting noon EDT April 9 to launch an Atlas V rocket carrying Amazon’s first 27 production satellites for the company’s planned $10 billion Project Kuiper internet constellation.
The Atlas V will ascend into low-Earth orbit from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The mission — named KA-01 for Kuiper Atlas 1 — has a three-hour launch window.
Ahead of new administrator, NASA unveils Artemis II return-to-moon mission patch
NASA displayed the Artemis II mission patch design on the walls of the giant Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center Thursday night — just days before a new administrator is expected to be confirmed to lead the space agency and, perhaps, usher in significant change.
President Trump’s pick of NASA Administrator, Jared Isaacman — a businessman and private astronaut closely aligned with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk — is set to be confirmed during a U.S. Senate hearing on Wednesday. This comes at a time when rumors are swirling that the Artemis Program could face cancellation. Artemis is NASA’s effort to return U.S. astronauts to the moon.
What to know: SpaceX weekend rocket launch from Cape Canaveral set for Saturday night
Those awake Saturday night are in for a treat, as SpaceX is planning a nighttime rocket launch.
SpaceX has yet to confirm, but the Federal Aviation Administration shows a launch window for the Starlink 6-72 mission occurring sometime between 10:40 p.m. Saturday night and 3:11 a.m. Sunday morning. Launch will be from Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 40. Upon liftoff, the rocket will travel on a southeast trajectory.
Launch recap: SpaceX rocket launch from Cape Canaveral Saturday night
Launch recap: Scroll down to read updates from the Starlink 6-72 mission, which launched at 11:07 p.m. on Saturday, April 5, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket on Starlink mission Saturday night from Cape Canaveral
It wasn’t a sunrise — the Saturday night sky over the Space Coast was illuminated as a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket rose upward and onto a southeast trajectory.
The Saturday night liftoff occurred at 11:07 p.m. from Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 40. The rocket let out a rumble as it carried 28 Starlink internet satellites to orbit.
For the latest news from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, visit floridatoday.com/space.
Rick Neale is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Neale at Rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter/X: @RickNeale1
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: 321 Launch: Space news you may have missed over the past week (April 7)