Author: Steven Siceloff

NASA and SpaceX teams have seen a marginal improvement in forecast weather conditions in potential splashdown sites off the coast of Florida for the return of the Crew-8 mission. The teams are proceeding closer to undock in order to get better resolution on the weather forecast, targeting no earlier than undocking of the spacecraft at 9:05 p.m. EDT on Monday, Oct. 21. Pending weather conditions, the earliest splashdown opportunity for the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is about 12:55 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 22. The next weather briefing will take place at 9 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 21.

Weather conditions currently remain unfavorable at multiple splashdown sites off the coast of Florida for the return of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission from the International Space Station. There are signs of improvement midweek, however, and mission managers will meet at 5 a.m. EDT Sunday, Oct. 20 for the next weather briefing. If weather conditions improve, NASA and SpaceX will target no earlier than 9:05 p.m., Monday, Oct. 21, for undocking from the space station.

Vice President Mike Pence saw a Florida spaceport Thursday poised in the starting blocks to return America’s human launch capability, begin a new era in deep-space exploration and capitalize on emerging partnerships with private industry.

Working in close partnership with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program in a process new to human spacecraft development, Boeing and SpaceX are making independent spacecraft and launch systems to take astronauts to the International Space Station from America. Boeing is building a line of Starliner spacecraft and SpaceX is making a crewed version of its Dragon spacecraft. Both spacecraft, along with their launch vehicles, mission and launch control systems, are being certified by NASA for safety, reliability and cost-effectiveness.

Seen together, the transformation of the center shows the form of a spaceport that has embraced the potential of new partnership approaches while holding onto its heritage of success and broaden the range of exploration for the nation.

Driving through much of the launch and processing facilities spread throughout the 144,000 acres of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Pence saw launch pads rebuilt for the needs of privately operated rockets, former space shuttle hangars refit to serve as spacecraft factories and the assembly hall for NASA’s own deep-space exploration spacecraft, Orion.

Former astronaut Bob Cabana, Kennedy’s center director, guided the tour for Pence who was making his first stop at the center since becoming vice president. As vice president, Pence will serve as chairman of the newly reformed National Space Council that will set goals and establish policies for the United States’ space efforts.

“We are in a great position here at Kennedy, we made our vision a reality; it couldn’t have been done without the passion and energy of our workforce,” said Kennedy Space Center Director Cabana. “Kennedy is fully established as a multi-user spaceport supporting both government and commercial partners in the space industry. As America’s premier multi-user spaceport, Kennedy continues to make history as it evolves, launching to low-Earth orbit and beyond.”

Read complete coverage of Pence’s visit to the Florida spaceport at www.nasa.gov.

As a NASA engineer in guidance, navigation and control, Nguyen evaluates the companies’ systems that steer and tell a spacecraft where it is and where it’s going. He works closely with both Boeing and SpaceX as the two companies build separate launch systems that NASA will certify for use.

“Each partner is different and offers different challenges,” Nguyen said. “We’ve developed a rapport with the engineers so they understand we’re here to share ideas and our assessments of the design. We’re really here to support them and their goals because they are our goals too.”

Read Nguyen’s full story at https://go.nasa.gov/2tY9gJn

NASA and SpaceX engineers are working together at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to build a full-scale Crew Dragon model, or Recovery Trainer, that will be used by the U.S. Air Force to perform flight-like rescue and recovery training exercises in the open ocean later this year.

The model, shown above with astronauts Dan Burbank and Victor Glover inside, is built to mimic the Crew Dragon spacecraft that SpaceX is developing with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program to fly astronauts to and from the International Space Station. In certain unusual recovery situations, SpaceX may need to work with the U.S. Air Force to send parajumpers to recover astronauts from the capsule. The Recovery Trainer will be used by the Air Force to prepare procedures and train for this contingency scenario. The trainer also has two working hatches and other simulated components similar to the ones astronauts and support teams will encounter in real missions.

Scott Colloredo, deputy director of Kennedy’s Engineering Directorate, said the engineers adapted SpaceX designs of internal elements to be compatible with the trainer and worked with Kennedy’s Prototype Development Lab to produce the parts quickly and install them inside the trainer. The Prototype Development Lab designs, fabricates and tests prototypes, test articles and test support equipment. The lab has a long history of providing fast solutions to complex operations problems. The lab’s teams of engineers use specialized equipment to produce exacting, one-of-a-kind items made from a range of materials depending on the design.

“We perform things that complement what the partners and programs provide,” Colloredo said. “The team delivered right to the minute.”

SpaceX is now finalizing modifications to the trainer to ensure it floats in water in the same way as the Crew Dragon spacecraft. Following those modifications, the trainer will enter service as the primary training vehicle for Crew Dragon astronaut recovery operations.