On April 7, 2025, Sierra Space announced they are collaborating with Honda and Tec-Masters to test Honda’s high-differential pressure water electrolysis system aboard the International Space Station (ISS). This initiative aims to advance human habitation on the lunar surface and develop clean energy solutions applicable both in space and on Earth.
What Is Being Tested?
Honda is utilizing its experience in hydrogen fuel cell technology to create a regenerative fuel cell system, referred to as a circulative renewable energy system, designed to continuously generate oxygen, hydrogen, and electricity.
A critical element of this system is Honda’s high-differential pressure water electrolysis technology. Testing this technology on the ISS will assess its performance and dependability in a microgravity environment. This renewable fuel cell system aligns with Honda’s objective to offer advanced energy storage solutions that can support human life on the Moon.
Sierra To Lead Effort
Sierra Space will act as the mission manager for Honda, coordinating with the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) and NASA to transport the necessary materials to the ISS using the Dream Chaser spaceplane. Tec-Masters, Inc. will serve as the technical payload integrator, leveraging its experience in ISS payload integration and certification. Sierra Space acknowledges the potential of this technology to transform energy storage and usage, offering scalable, renewable solutions.
Ken Shields, Senior Director of Business Development at Sierra Space, stated, “The future of innovation in space is not only commercialization, but teaming arrangements between like-minded companies to advance technology we never thought imaginable in previous decades.” He added, “As we prepare for our first Dream Chaser mission to the International Space Station, this new collaboration with Honda and Tec-Masters is an additional proof point to the varied applications of our spaceplane to provide commercial transport to the space station and beyond.”
Dream Chaser is particularly suited for this program due to its cargo capacity exceeding six tons and its ability to return critical payloads to Earth under low-gravity conditions, ensuring the preservation of valuable cargo upon re-entry.
Currently, Sierra Space’s first Dream Chaser spaceplane, Tenacity, is undergoing final testing at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in preparation for its inaugural mission to the ISS under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Service 2 (CRS-2) contract. Dream Chaser is currently slated for a launch in 2025, though no date has been specified.
What a long, strange trip it’s been: Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams finally concluded their never-ending story of Boeing’s Crewed Flight Test of Starliner yesterday when they landed in a SpaceX Crew Dragon in the Gulf of America near Tallahassee, Florida. Also aboard were NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, with the four of them designated as Crew 9 on ISS Expedition 71/72.
The Crew 9 mission came to an end yesterday with SpaceX Crew Dragon ‘Freedom’ splashing down in the Gulf of America. Photo: NASA
After a nominal re-entry, the four landed at 5:57 p.m. EDT. Recovery teams on SpaceX vessels secured the spacecraft and assisted the crew while being circled by curious dolphins. Following their arrival on shore, the astronauts began the return procedures: extensive medical checks followed by travel to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston for debriefings and reunions with their families.
Boeing’s Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission was as an 8-10 day demonstration flight for Starliner to validate its capabilities in transporting astronauts to and from the International Space Station. However, technical concerns, including issues with the spacecraft’s propulsion system, led NASA to opt for an uncrewed return of Starliner to conduct further testing and modifications before operational flights could commence.
Starliner CST-100 in launch preparation, May 31, 2024
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
Boeing CFT, Post-landing Photo: NASA
For their part, Boeing disagreed with the decision, with the company arguing internally with NASA that Starliner was safe to ferry Williams and Williams back to Earth as planned. That was not to be, as NASA decided to fold the pair into Expedition 71/72 on ISS, and to bump two of the astronauts designated for Crew 9 — NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson — from the mission.
Starliner would eventually return to Earth uncrewed in September, 2024, safely completing its mission via remote control and on-board programming.
Crew 9 Stats
During their missions, Williams and Wilmore traveled 121,347,491 miles, spent 286 days in space, and completed 4,576 Earth orbits. Hague and Gorbunov covered 72,553,920 miles, remained in orbit for 171 days, and completed 2,736 orbits. This mission marked Gorbunov’s first spaceflight. Hague has accumulated 374 days in space across two missions, Williams 608 days over three missions, and Wilmore 464 days across three flights.
Due to the unexpected long-term mission, Williams is now in second place for time spent in space by a female astronaut. Former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson has accumulated a total of 675 days in space across multiple missions, making her the most experienced astronaut in terms of cumulative days, a record that Whitson will add to she commands the private Axiom Ax-4 mission to ISS later this year.
Curious dolphins circled Crew Dragon as SpaceX secured the capsule. Photo: NASA
Crew-9’s mission included scientific research, maintenance operations, and technology demonstrations. Williams performed two spacewalks, partnering with Wilmore and Hague to remove a radio frequency antenna, collect external surface samples, and install protective patches on an X-ray telescope’s light filters. Williams set a new record for cumulative spacewalking time by a female astronaut, logging 62 hours and 6 minutes outside the station.
The crew conducted over 150 scientific studies and technology tests, dedicating more than 900 hours to research. Their work included plant growth experiments, stem cell technology investigations for treating blood disorders and cancer, and evaluations of circadian rhythm-supporting lighting systems. They also launched the first wooden satellite and studied microorganism survival in space by analyzing external samples from the station.
The mission marked the fourth flight of the Dragon spacecraft named Freedom, previously used for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 and Axiom Missions 2 and 3. Following retrieval, the spacecraft will undergo inspections and refurbishments at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in preparation for future missions.
Shift Change
Crew-9’s comes shortly after the launch and docking at ISS of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10, which completed the Crew 9 rotation. NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers; JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov will now spend several months aboard Station, and will advance the scientific and engineering work planned for their stay.
According to NASA, this is standard operating procedure
Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will be returning to Earth this afternoon aboard Crew 9 after spending some 286 days in space. They and the two other Crew 9 astronauts, Nick Hague and Alexandr Grubonov will begin their fiery descent at around 5:11 PM ET, with a planned touchdown coming some forty-six minutes later at 5:57 PM ET.
NASA said this morning that Crew Dragon will splash down in the Gulf of America, relatively near Tallahassee, Florida.
Suni Williams waves goodbye to crewmates on ISS last night before hatch closure. Video: NASA livestream
Afterwards, SpaceX will begin recovery efforts on the capsule, leading to the astronauts and cosmonaut exiting Crew Dragon once it is brought aboard SpaceX’s recovery vessel at sea.
As first reported on LiveScience.com, one thing that may surprise casual viewers tuning in to see Wilmore and Williams exit the Crew Dragon capsule is the likelihood that they will be carried in stretchers after leaving the spacecraft. The same may happen with Crew 9 commander Nick Hague and Mission Specialist Alexandr Aleksandr Vladimirovich Gurbonov as well. Both Hague and Gurbonov will have spent 171 days in space when they return to Earth this afternoon.
Wearing their SpaceX pressure suits, Butch Wilmore (l) and Suni Williams (r) post with Nick Hague and Alexandr Gurbonov in ISS shortly before hatch closure on March 17, 2025. Photo from NASA livestream
Talk of Titusville asked NASA for more information, and they replied:
As part of standard procedures, all International Space Station astronauts are placed, or seated, on a mobility aid by recovery teams to assist the crew members returning to Earth’s gravity after several months in space.
After completing medical checks, astronauts are transferred to a waiting helicopter and are taken to a waiting NASA aircraft to return to Houston to be reunited with their friends and families. Then begins the process of post-medical evaluations and reclamation to Earth’s gravity environment.
This process differs for each individual, typically lasting several months, as the longer an astronaut spends in space, the more difficult it is to readapt to gravity. Astronauts returning to Earth after living aboard the space station for extended durations have exhibited balance control problems, muscle weakness, and cardiovascular deconditioning.
NASA’s Human Research Program continues to innovate and pursue the best methods and technologies to keep astronauts healthy during their missions and when they return home. The International Space Station is helping prepare humans for future long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars, including the exercise needed to address the challenges of living and working in microgravity for extended periods of time.
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 members pose together for a portrait inside the SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft while it was still docked to the International Space Station. From left, are NASA astronaut Suni Williams, Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, and NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Butch Wimore. Photo: NASA
Typically, astronauts aboard the station dedicate two hours daily to exercise in order to counteract bone and muscle deterioration caused by weightlessness. Despite these efforts, Wilmore and Williams will undergo intensive rehabilitation in the coming weeks and months as their bodies readjust to the pull of gravity that almost all of us take for granted as part of our daily lives.
All four Crew 9 astronauts and cosmonaut will also receive extensive medical checks as part of the crew return procedure, and will also be greeted by family, friends and colleagues after their arrival in Texas.
Watch Crew 9’s Return
Pending weather conditions at the splashdown sites, continuous coverage will resume on March 18 on NASA+ prior to the start of deorbit burn. As of the time of this writing, the schedule provided by NASA calls for:
4:45 PM ET – Return coverage begins on NASA+
5:11 p.m. – Deorbit burn (time is approximate)
5:57 p.m. – Splashdown (time is approximate)
7:30 p.m. – Return-to-Earth media conference on NASA+, with the following participants:
Joel Montalbano, deputy associate administrator, NASA’ Space Operations Mission Directorate
Steve Stich, manager, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program
Jeff Arend, manager for systems engineering and integration, NASA’s International Space Station, NASA’s International Space Station Office
Sarah Walker, director, Dragon Mission Management, SpaceX
The long journey of Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore and the Boeing Starliner mission is finally near its end: If everything goes according to plan, one of the most talked about journeys in American spaceflight will come to an end with a splashdown tomorrow evening somewhere off the coast of Florida.
Sunita “Suni” Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore Photo: NASA
NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams are set to return to Earth aboard SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission, concluding an unexpectedly extended stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The deorbit burn is scheduled for approximately 5:11 p.m. EDT, with splashdown anticipated around 5:57 p.m. EDT off the coast of Florida.
Unexpectedly Extended Mission
Wilmore and Williams launched to the ISS in June 2024 aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, initially slated for what was described an eight-day mission. However, technical issues with the Starliner, including thruster malfunctions and a helium system leak, rendered it unsafe for their return. Consequently, the spacecraft returned to Earth uncrewed, leaving the astronauts on Station for an extended period.
International Space Station Photo: NASA
As a result of the unexpected issues with Starliner, NASA chose to add Wilmore and Williams to the ISS Expedition 71/72 roster. Both astronauts remained active and engaged throughout their prolonged mission, contributing significantly to the station’s objectives, with Williams taking command of ISS itself during her stay. The pair participated in over 150 experiments and observed various Earth phenomena from their unique vantage point. Despite the unforeseen extension, both maintained a positive outlook and never publicly complained about their unexpectedly long mission.
SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission, part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, launched on September 28, 2024, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Launch Complex 40. This mission was notable for being the first crewed launch from this particular complex. The Crew-9 spacecraft, named Freedom, carried NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov to the ISS, leaving behind NASA’s three-time space shuttle astronaut Stephanie Wilson and Zena Cardman, with both being reassigned to unspecified future missions.
Crew 9 lifts off from Space Launch Complex 40 on September 28, 2024 Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
For its part, Crew 9 also experienced several delays prior to launch, primarily due to technical issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft and scheduling conflicts with other missions on ISS. Originally planned for mid-August 2024, the launch was postponed to late September to accommodate these challenges.
Crew 10
The arrival of SpaceX’s Crew-10 mission on March 16, 2025, marked a significant milestone in facilitating the return of Wilmore and Williams. The Crew-10 spacecraft, carrying NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov, successfully docked with the ISS, allowing for a seamless transition of responsibilities.
The docking occurred at 12:04 a.m. EDT, followed by hatch opening at 1:35 a.m. EDT. The new crew members were warmly welcomed aboard, with the station’s population temporarily increasing to 11. This handover period ensured continuity of operations and allowed Wilmore and Williams to brief their replacements before their departure.
Liftoff of Crew 10 on March 14, 2025.
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
Following the arrival of Crew-10, preparations for the return of Wilmore and Williams intensified. The Crew-9 spacecraft underwent thorough checks to ensure its readiness for re-entry and landing. Both astronauts expressed cautious excitement about returning home, acknowledging the inherent risks associated with re-entry but also their eagerness to reunite with family and resume life on Earth.
A Political Football
The extended stay of Wilmore and Williams garnered attention beyond the aerospace community. Public figures, including former President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, commented on the situation, with Musk referring to the upcoming return mission as a “rescue” operation.
However, both NASA and the astronauts refuted the notion that they were stranded in space or abandoned, emphasizing that their extended stay was a result of technical challenges and not political decisions. This set off a political firestorm, the intensity of which is rarely seen that involves spaceflight and NASA.
Current Return Plans for Crew 9
As the deorbit burn approaches, scheduled for approximately 5:11 p.m. EDT, mission teams are closely monitoring weather conditions and spacecraft systems to ensure a safe re-entry and landing. The splashdown is anticipated around 5:57 p.m. EDT off the coast of Florida, where recovery teams will be stationed to assist the returning astronauts.
Click to open NASA+ for live coverage of Crew 9 activities
In a press release today, NASA said that they and SpaceX met on Sunday, March 16th, to assess weather and splashdown conditions off Florida’s coast for the return of the agency’s Crew-9 mission from the International Space Station. Mission managers are targeting an earlier Crew-9 return opportunity based on favorable conditions forecasted for the evening of Tuesday, March 18. The updated return target continues to allow the space station crew members time to complete handover duties while providing operational flexibility ahead of less favorable weather conditions expected for later in the week.
NASA will provide live coverage of the agency’s SpaceX Crew-9 return to Earth from the International Space Station, beginning with Dragon spacecraft hatch closure preparations at 10:45 p.m. EDT Monday, March 17.
The successful end of the Crew 9 astronauts will finally end a long and controversial mission, and one that NASA surely hopes will never be repeated.
Falcon 9 rising off of LC-39A Friday evening Photo: Derek Newsome
It was a good day to have a good day here in Florida, and that’s exactly what NASA, SpaceX and Crew 10 had today at Kennedy Space Center.
Falcon 9 lifted off, carrying three astronauts and one cosmonaut toward orbit and the International Space Station just as the sun was starting to set in the west. Some seven and a half minutes later, SpaceX booster B1090 completed its duty for the day by landing at LZ-1 in Cape Canaveral, 8.8 miles south of LC-39A.
Liftoff of Crew 10. Photo: Charles Boyer
Mechanical issues had delayed this launch, which was originally scheduled for Wednesday, March 12th, but hydraulic issues with ground-side equipment scotched that attempt, with the second launch attempt planned for today. This evening’s attempt was literally picture-perfect, and Falcon 9 rose like clockwork after a quiet countdown.
Can’t help but cheer: press photographers capturing the launch of Crew 10. Photo: Charles Boyer, Talk of Titusville
Crew Dragon Endurance is now in orbit, with NASA Astronauts Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, JAXA Astronaut Takuya Onishi and Roscosmos Cosmonaut Kirill Peskov aboard. The spacecraft will track down ISS, with docking planned to dock autonomously to the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module at approximately 11:30 p.m. ET tomorrow.
Launch Replay
Next Launch
While not officially announced by SpaceX, Starlink 12-16 is expected to launch early Saturday morning.
Organization: SpaceX
Location: Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Rocket: Falcon 9
Pad: Space Launch Complex 40
Status: To Be Confirmed
Status Info: Awaiting official confirmation – current date is known with some certainty due to information found at secondary sources.
Window Opens: Saturday, 03/15/2025 6:28:00 AM
Window Closes: Saturday, 03/15/2025 10:59:00 AM
Destination: Low Earth Orbit
Mission Description: A batch of 23 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation – SpaceX’s project for space-based Internet communication system.
Crew 10 Launch Gallery
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of TitusvillePhoto: Charles Boyer / Talk of TitusvillePhoto: Charles Boyer / Talk of TitusvillePhoto: Charles Boyer / Talk of TitusvillePhoto: Charles Boyer / Talk of TitusvillePhoto: Charles Boyer / Talk of TitusvillePhoto: Charles Boyer / Talk of TitusvillePhoto: Charles Boyer / Talk of TitusvillePhoto: Charles Boyer / Talk of TitusvillePhoto: Charles Boyer / Talk of TitusvillePhoto: Derek NewsomePhoto: Derek Newsome
Crew Dragon on top of Falcon 9 at LC-39A, March 12, 2025 Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
Some days you’re the bug, other days you’re the windshield.
The scheduled Wednesday launch of the Crew-10 mission to the International Space Station was scrubbed last night with a little more than forty six minutes left on the countdown clock. The delay stemmed from a malfunction in the hydraulic system of a ground support clamp arm attached to the Falcon 9 rocket, located at SpaceX’s Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Crew Safe And Still In Florida
The crew—comprising NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov—departed the Dragon spacecraft following the cancellation and will remain in Florida for the time being awaiting a new launch window.
NASA Astronauts Anne McClain (left) and Nichole Ayers (right) departing the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building (O&C) on their way to LC-39A and Falcon 9 on March 12, 2025 Photo: Charles Boyer, Talk of Titusville
The earliest rescheduled launch window is now set for no sooner than Friday, March 14th at 7:06 PM ET in an instantaneous window. That date is dependant on remediations of the hydraulic issue at the launch pad. At this time, the Falcon 9 vehicle itself and the Crew Dragon the astronauts will fly aboard is in good condition.
Weather
Weatherwise, the U.S. Space Force 45th Weather Squadron has not released a new Launch Mission Execution forecast for tomorrow. General forecasts for the Cape are showing a minimal chance of rain with easterly winds between 5-10 MPH with gusts not being a great deal higher than that. Keep in mind that the general forecasts do not consider launch criteria and cover much larger area than the ascent corridor at and above LC-39A, so the 45th may have a different outlook on the probability of acceptable conditions.
Another consideration will be winds and seas along the ascent corridor. That must be within acceptable conditions. Reliable forecasts for winds at the altitudes Falcon 9 will be at are not available at this time. Bottom line: wait for the 45th Weather Squadron’s forecast to draw any conclusions about weather conditions for the launch.
Should the Crew-10 mission proceed on March 14, the preceding Crew-9 team—consisting of NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore, alongside Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov—would undock from the space station NET Tuesday, March 18. That timeline remains contingent on suitable weather conditions at the designated splashdown zones off Florida’s coast and may change over the next few days.
Falcon 9 and Crew 10 at LC-39A on March 12, 2025 Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
NASA and SpaceX have moved up the launch of Crew 10 to the International Space Station to no earlier than March 12, 2025. The date is dependent on crew and spacecraft’s mission readiness and completion of the agency’s certification of flight readiness process. Following several days of handoff, Crew 9 astronauts will depart ISS and return to Earth.
he official portrait of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 members with (from left) Mission Specialist Kirill Peskov of Roscosmos; Pilot Nichole Ayers and Commander Anne McClain, both NASA astronauts; and Mission Specialist Takuya Onishi from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency). Photo credit: NASA/Bill Stafford/Helen Arase Vargas
NASA has announced an earlier launch opportunity for the Crew-10 mission following a decision to modify its original plan. Instead of using a new Dragon spacecraft—which requires additional processing time—the mission will now fly with Endurance, a previously flown Dragon capsule.
Teams are currently conducting thorough assessments of Endurance’s hardware to ensure it meets NASA’s Commercial Crew Program safety and certification requirements. Preparations are underway to refurbish the spacecraft, including installing its trunk, loading propellant, and transporting it to SpaceX’s hangar at Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. There, it will be integrated with the Falcon 9 rocket ahead of launch.
Crew 9 astronauts prior to liftoff. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
This marks Endurance’s fourth mission to the International Space Station, having previously supported Crew-3, Crew-5, and Crew-7.
Once Crew-10 arrives at the ISS, they will undergo a handover period with the Crew-9 team, who will guide them through ongoing scientific research and station maintenance tasks. This transition ensures a smooth exchange of responsibilities and enhances safety aboard the orbiting laboratory.
Following the completion of the handover, NASA and SpaceX will begin preparations for the return of Crew-9 to Earth. NASA astronaut Nick Hague, Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, will depart the ISS aboard Crew Dragon.
They will be joined by the former Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore. The pair joined Expedition 71/72 after NASA decided to return the Starliner capsule uncrewed after several problems with that spacecraft.
NASA spacewalker Suni Williams is attached to the tip of the Canadarm2 robotic arm as the International Space Station orbited 260 miles above the Earth. Credit: NASA+
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams completed a 6.5 hour EVA outside the International Space Station today. During the event, Suni Williams became the record-holder for the most accumulated time by a woman for spacewalks. Williams now has 62 hours, 6 minutes of total spacewalk time. She is fourth on NASA’s all-time list as well.
Astronaut Suni Williams (left) conducted her ninth career spacewalk and Butch Wilmore (right) conducted his fifth career spacewalk today. Photo: NASA
The two astronauts are, of course, part of the current political kerfuffle surrounding their stay on ISS, when they were assigned to ISS Expedition 71/72 after it was decided to return their Starliner capsule home uncrewed thanks to technical concerns about the Boeing spacecraft.
During their pair’s EVA, Williams surpassed former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson’s total spacewalking time of 60 hours and 21 minutes.
The former record holder posted her congratulations today on X.com:
Handing the baton off to Suni for most spacewalking time for a female. Records are meant to be broken! Congratulations @Astro_Suni! https://t.co/BEyqUI7KWo
While outside ISS, the Williams and Wilmore performed work to remove an antenna assembly from the station’s truss, collected samples of surface material for analysis from the Destiny laboratory and the Quest airlock to see whether microorganisms exist on the exterior of ISS, and they also prepared a spare elbow joint for the Canadarm2 robotic arm.
Coming Home This Spring
The pair are set to return to Earth aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon in late March or early April. Currently, Crew 10 is slated to launch on March 24th, and after a handoff period Crew 9 will return to Earth with Williams and Wilmore aboard a Crew Dragon.
After they joined Expedition’s 71/72 crew, the plan was to bring them home in February, but delays in SpaceX’s completing and qualifying a new Dragon capsule that will be used for the mission forced NASA to further extend the length of their unexpected stay in space.
Jared Isaacman with his children in a 2024 Polaris Dawn publicity photo. Credit: John Kraus, Polaris Program
Jared Isaacman, the billionaire entrepreneur, philanthropist, and private astronaut, has been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as the next Administrator of NASA. Isaacman, best known to the general public as the commander of both the groundbreaking Inspiration4 and Polaris Dawn space missions and the first private citizen to conduct a spacewalk, is also the CEO of the payment processing giant Shift4, a rapidly growing company that Isaacman started when he was sixteen years old.
President-elect Donald Trump’s announcement of the Isaacman nomination on Truth Social
Isaacman Reaction To The Nomination
“The future of space exploration depends on collaboration between government agencies, private companies, and international partners,” Isaacman said in a statement following the announcement of his nomination. “If confirmed, I’ll work tirelessly to ensure NASA remains at the forefront of innovation and exploration.”
Isaacman Qualifications, In Brief
Jared Isaacman exiting Crew Dragon on the Polaris Dawn flight in September of 2024. Photo: SpaceX livestream
If confirmed, Jared Isaacman would be the only NASA Administrator to have commanded a space mission and to have flown to space twice. He would also be the only NASA Administrator who has future flights in planning stages — there are three more Polaris missions slated to fly, though potential launch dates have not been released by the program.
Isaacman is also well qualified to lead the “second A” in NASA, that is, the Aeronautic side. As an aviator, Isaacman holds multiple world records for flight, including a record-breaking circumnavigation of the globe in a light jet. In 2019, Isaacman purchased a Soviet-era Mikoyan MiG-29 fighter jet from the estate of Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft, a plane he regularly flies himself.
The nomination will now need to be confirmed by the US Senate after it is sworn in and convenes in January 2025.
Polaris Dawn launch, with NASA Administrator nominee Jared Isaacman in command. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
SpaceX launched the latest resupply mission for the International Space Station this evening from Pad LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center. Liftoff was at 9:29 PM EDT into skies that cleared just in time for the launch.
Around eight minutes and a half minutes after launching roughly ten miles away, Falcon 9 Booster B1083 completed its fifth mission successfully when it touched down at Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. This marked the 46th landing at LZ-1 and the 365th Falcon booster landing all-time.
SpaceX Falcon 9 lifting off from Pad LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center to start the CRS-2 SpX-31 mission. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
At roughly the same time, the second stage of Falcon 9 achieved orbit and at 9:48 PM the Cargo Dragon was released to continue under its own power towards ISS. A successful nose-cone deployment marked the end of the launch phase of the CRS-2 SpX-31 mission.
SpaceX noted on X.com after the launch that this mission was their 400th successful Falcon launch.
Cargo Dragon will now continue towards the International Space Station, where it is expected to dock autonomously to the forward port of the space station’s Harmony module at 10:15 AMtomorrow (Tuesday, November 5).
Launch Replay
By The Numbers
109th SpaceX launch this year
19th launch from LC-39A this year
37th consecutive successful Falcon 9 launch
186th orbital launch attempt from LC-39A, all-time
245th launch from KSC, all-time
Falcon 9’s first stage put on a display in the Florida skies while the second stage (bottom) continued towards orbit. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
Next Launch
SpaceX is scheduled to launch Starlink 6-77 and another set of Starlink satellites aboard a Falcon 9 tomorrow afternoon from Space Launch Complex 40. This is the second attempt to launch this mission — the first attempt was scrubbed with less than three minutes to go in the countdown due to a helium issue.
Date: NET November 5, 2024
Organization: SpaceX / NASA
Mission: Starlink 6-77
Rocket: Falcon 9
Launch Site: Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral
Launch Window: 3:39 – 7:39 PM EST
Payload: Starlink satellites
Keep in mind that launch dates and times change often. Launch attempts can be scrubbed anytime due to weather, technical reasons, or range conditions.
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