Though they are often taken for granted, spacesuits are a vital part of US space efforts, both now with the International Space Station, and also later, when astronauts from Project Artemis undertake their EVA duties on the lunar surface. Without spacesuits, many of the necessary maintenance and upgrade duties on ISS cannot be performed, and obviously, without spacesuits, no one will be walking on the moon.
A National Institute of Health paper released in March has identified previously unseen and unknown variants of a bacterium known for being multi-drug resistant that have been isolated from the ISS.
Thirteen strains of Enterobacter bugandensis, have mutated and became genetically distinct compared to their Earth counterparts. The study also found that E. bugandensis coexisted with multiple other microorganisms, and in some cases could have helped those organisms survive. So far, NASA, Roscosmos, or any other international partners aboard the ISS have not reported infected astronauts or, worse, transmission of the species from the ISS to Earth.
A NASA news release this week perhaps states the findings more clearly:
“In a new scientific paper funded by an Ames Space Biology grant, Principal Investigator Dr. Kasthuri Venkateswaran of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory strains of the bacterial species Enterobacter bugandensis isolated from the International Space Station (ISS) were studied. Thirteen strains of E. bugandensis, a bacterium notorious for being multi-drug resistant, were isolated from the ISS. Study findings indicate under stress, the ISS isolated strains were mutated and became genetically and functionally distinct compared to their Earth counterparts. The strains were able to viably persist in the ISS over time with a significant abundance. E. bugandensis coexisted with multiple other microorganisms, and in some cases could have helped those organisms survive.
“Closed human-built environments, such as the ISS, are unique areas that provide an extreme environment subject to microgravity, radiation, and elevated carbon dioxide levels. Any microorganisms introduced to these areas must adapt to thrive. By delving into microbial dynamics in extreme environments, this research opens doors to effective preventative measure for astronaut health.”
Multi-Drug Resistant Bacteria Found on ISS Mutating to Become Functionally Distinct (NASA)
In short, this common species from Earth has traveled to ISS, adapted to the unique environment of the orbiting outpost, and has evolved into something entirely new that is resistant to standard antibiotic treatments.
The recently released study backs up other studies that go back as far as 2015. According to a peer-reviewed release in 2018, “Researchers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, USA investigated five strains of Enterobacter that were isolated from the space toilet and the exercise platform on the ISS in March 2015 as part of a wider effort to characterize the bacterial communities that live on surfaces inside the space station. To identify the species of Enterobacter collected on the ISS and to show in detail the genetic make-up of the individual strains, the researchers compared the ISS strains to all publicly available genomes of 1,291 Enterobacter strains collected on Earth.”
In 2018, Dr Kasthuri Venkateswaran, a Senior Research Scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group stated that, “Whether or not an opportunistic pathogen like E. bugandensis causes disease and how much of a threat it is, depends on a variety of factors, including environmental ones. Further in vivo studies are needed to discern the impact that conditions on the ISS, such as microgravity, other space, and spacecraft-related factors, may have on pathogenicity and virulence.”
According to the NIH’s National Center for Biotechnology Information, “Enterobacter species are responsible for causing many nosocomial infections, and less commonly community-acquired infections, including urinary tract infections (UTI), respiratory infections, soft tissue infections, osteomyelitis, and endocarditis, among many others.”
Again, no illnesses specific to E. bugandensis have been reported, and scientists have been monitoring this situation for some time.
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Note: article originally published by the author at Florida Media Now
NASA, Boeing and United Launch Alliance Forego Launch Opportunity on June 2nd As Well
The debut of Boeing’s Starliner with crew aboard will have to endure at least one more delay as teams work to assess the latest issue that prevented a launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station early this afternoon.
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will presumable remain at Kennedy Space Center and still in quarantine awaiting the next launch attempt, which could come NET June 5th at 10:52 AM EDT.
At T-minus three minutes and fifty-six seconds, a hold was called, the launch countdown halted, and the launch attempt was scrubbed for the day.
The reason?
“NASA, Boeing, and ULA (United Launch Alliance) scrubbed today’s launch opportunity due to the computer ground launch sequencer not loading into the correct operational configuration after proceeding into terminal count.”
NASA
In short, a computer systems failure.
Specifically, the failure was in the system that, “Controls things like retracting umbilical [connections from the pad to Atlas V] and the Pyro pin that release the bolts at the base of the rocket, so that when ignition happens the rocket is free to fly away and do its job,” said United Launch Alliance CEO Tory Bruno in a press briefing held after the scrub.
Additionally, Bruno added, “For that system we do require all three systems to be running triple redundancy and to assure that [inside] each of those three big racks those three big computers do a health check and they monitor to see that those cards came up. When they were commanded to come up and be begin doing their job two came up normally the third one came up but it was slow to come up, and that tripped a red line that created an automatic hold.”
With that, the scrub, because the mission profile is one based on an instantaneous launch, means Atlas V must depart at a specific moment to catch up to the International Space Station in the most efficient manner. This is normal for ISS-bound crewed flights, dating back to the days of the Space Shuttle.
Later in the evening, NASA issued this update:
“NASA, Boeing, and ULA (United Launch Alliance) are forgoing a Crew Flight Test launch attempt Sunday, June 2, to give the team additional time to assess a ground support equipment issue at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex-41 in Florida.”
NASA
So, there is no fast turnaround, no launch tomorrow, and Starliner is still on the ground awaiting its first crewed mission.
It would be fashionable to blame Boeing and Starliner for this latest delay, but in reality, it’s their partner, United Launch Alliance, that has not delivered in both launch attempts. On May 8th, a valve issue on Atlas V scrubbed the mission, and today, another ULA hardware problem has kept Starliner on the ground. In both cases, Starliner was ready for flight, but unfortunately, its ride to space was not. Whether ULA is third-time lucky remains to be seen.
There are two more potential launch dates, June 5 and June 6 available for Starliner before Atlas V will need to have maintenance on its battery systems, a process said to take at least ten days. Not too long after that ISS scheduling comes back into play, with Crew 9 scheduled to to head to ISS aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 Crew Dragon in August.
If all goes well, at 12:25 PM EDT this afternoon, Boeing’s long-awaited Crewed Flight Test will lift of atop an Atlas V and on its way to low-Earth orbit. It will be the first time that Atlas V has carried crew, the first time at Starliner has carried crew, and the first crewed launch at Cape Canaveral in decades.
If all goes well.
Keep that in mind, as you hear mission controllers and official give details of the countdown as it proceeds.
Any rocket launch always has a long line of checkpoints, any of which can delay or even scrub the countdown. Until the rocket actually lifts off the pad, you can never be 100% certain that it is going to fly that day because everything has to work properly, or else mission controllers will wisely say, “We’re not going to space today.”
That is how it should be, and that’s how it will be today, especially with the lives of two astronauts at stake.
At the same time, the astronauts, engineers, technicians and staff at ULA, Boeing and NASA have diligently prepared for Starliner CFT, and they have tested, retested, and then tested again. They say the vehicle is ready. The astronauts say they are ready. And Space Station eagerly awaits their arrival, because Starliner was drafted at the last minute to carry a critical piece of hardware to the orbiting outpost.
Godspeed, Starliner.
Liftoff is scheduled for 12:25 PM EDT today, Saturday, June 1st.
The launch window is instantaneous, which means that Atlas V must lift off at its scheduled time, and that it cannot be delayed until later the same afternoon. This is normal for ISS launches because docking with the ISS requires efficiently matching the speed and position of the ISS, which moves at 7.7 km every second. Timing the launch to within a second greatly simplifies chasing down the orbiting outpost.
Starliner will be carried to orbit aboard an Atlas V N22, a crew-rated variant of the Atlas V 422. This version of Atlas V has two solid motor strap-on boosters with two liquid-fueled stages.
As Starliner is planned to launch on a northeasterly trajectory, as is customary for ISS-bound launches. Space Coast residents may recall that previous SpaceX cargo resupply and Commercial Crew missions take the same path.
Launch viewers facing the Atlantic Ocean will see the rocket fly right-to-left as it ascends.
The 45th Weather Squadron’s official Launch Mission Execution Forecast gives 90% probability of acceptable atmospheric conditions at the launch sites and through Atlas V and Starliner’s ascent corridor.
One concern is wind. Mark Burger, launch weather officer at the 45th Weather Squadron said that, “There is one watch item,” he said, “And that is the local winds. It’s already turning breezy out of there with sort of a stiff onshore flow, and that’s what we’ll be monitoring for tomorrow as well.”
Burger added, “Again, [we’re] not considering any rain or thunderstorms, maybe a few clouds, bu not anything concerning for us. The winds will be a little feisty tomorrow not only in terms of the magnitude of the winds, but also the direction of the winds. [There will be] a pretty good onshore component, nearly perpendicular to the coast. That tightens or restricts us just a little bit in terms of favorability. But again, now, winds, as you know, are a highly variable factor both in time and space. So hopefully we’ll be able to to get off without a hitch.”
The National Weather Service is expecting roughly 50% cloud coverage late tomorrow morning. The launch should be well visible to most spectators, but clouds may block others.
None. Atlas V is a fully expendable launch system, so after Main Engine Cutoff of the first stage, it will seperate and fall into the Atlantic Ocean. Atlas V’s second stage, a dual-engine Centaur, will be purposely re-entered after Starliner separation.
SpaceCoastLaunchCalendar.com will have a livestream of the launch if you’re not able to watch the launch in person: Livestream
United Launch Alliance will have a livestream of the launch on their website: ULA Crewed Flight Test
Boeing is also offering a livestream of the launch: Boeing Starliner Crewed Flight Test
Spaceflight Now will have coverage of the launch starting about one hour before liftoff on Youtube: link
Remember that there is a delay between a launch stream and the actual countdown clock. That is simply because of physics: it takes time for the signal to travel from the launch site, through the Internet, and back down to your phone, resulting in a five to fifteen-second delay.
Next Spaceflight, an app for iOS and Android phones, has a real-time countdown clock that is accurate to a second, give or take. The app is free. Search the App Store or Google Play.
This morning’s planned launch is from SLC-40, on the south side of the Eastern Range (KSC and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station combined.) The southern parks in Titusville on Washington Avenue and FL-528/A1A in Cape Canaveral are the best spots to watch liftoff directly.
Given the early hours of the launch window (7:30AM – 11:30AM EDT) these restaurants may not be open for launch viewing. Later in the day, all three may well be, so if you are interested, be sure to call ahead to make sure they’ll be ready to serve you.
There are several excellent viewing spots for SLC-40 launches that offer indirect views — meaning you won’t see the rocket until it clears obstructions such as trees, buildings, even a storm berm in one case.
You can also view the launch from the area beaches, which will have good views of the ascending rocket after it clears any ground obstructions.
Be prepared for potential changes or pushbacks in the launch schedule, and keep up by monitoring the live stream links mentioned above.
Keep up with launch news and other space events that affect the local area by subscribing to alerts when we publish a new article by entering your email at the link at the bottom of this page, or by visiting Space Talk here on the website. It’s free, and you can cancel at any time.
“We’ll fly when we’re ready.”
Those words by the manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, Steve Stich, earlier this spring have hovered over the launch campaign of Boeing’s Crewed Flight Test for several weeks now.
They’ve been a guiding principle for the launch and spacecraft teams, and NASA and astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, and now, all parties agree that they’re ready to fly.
With that, the launch of Atlas V carrying Starliner to low-Earth orbit and eventually the International Space Station with Wilmore and Williams aboard is set for 12:26 PM EDT on Saturday June 1st.
The faulty valve in the second stage Centuar II of Atlas V has been replaced, and that problem closed out.
Engineers, scientists, and mission managers have analyzed the helium leak in Starliner discovered after the Centaur valve issue; the rate of loss was calculated and deemed safe for flight, and it will be monitored throughout the mission in case further intervention is required.
Mark Nappi, Mark Nappi, Boeing’s vice president and program manager for the company’s commercial crew program said earlier today that, “The teams are on station and they’re monitoring the spacecraft as we sit here and talk to you.”
“They reported this morning at 03:30 [AM EDT], powered up the vehicle, and have been a continuous monitoring mode and will continue to work the launch preps and the launch countdown leading up until tomorrow morning at 04:00 AM when the launch team will come in and start supporting the mission. So far, there’s been no issues that we’ve been working with the spacecraft, so all is going well,” Nappi added.
Regarding the Helium issue that caused the lengthy May delay, Nappi was unequivocal: “It’s really just a matter of safety. When we looked at this problem, it didn’t come down to making trades; it came down to whether it was safe or not. And it is safe. That’s why we determined that we could go fly with what we have.”
Steve Stich added insight behind the determination. “There’s about 50 pounds of helium on board,” he said. “And this leak, if it was left open to vent, all the time, it would lose about a half a pound a day. So there’s plenty of margin left over.”
Weather may be a concern for tomorrow. Mark Burger, launch weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron located at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station gave a 90% probability of acceptable weather, with a caveat. There is one watch item,” he said, “And that is the local winds. It’s already turning breezy out of there with sort of a stiff onshore flow, and that’s what we’ll be monitoring for tomorrow as well.”
Burger added, “Again, [we’re] not considering any rain or thunderstorms, maybe a few clouds, bu not anything concerning for us. The winds will be a little feisty tomorrow not only in terms of the magnitude of the winds, but also the direction of the winds. [There will be] a pretty good onshore component, nearly perpendicular to the coast. That tightens or restricts us just a little bit in terms of favorability. But again, now, winds, as you know, are a highly variable factor both in time and space. So hopefully we’ll be able to to get off without a hitch.”
Keep up with launch news and other space events that affect the local area by subscribing to alerts when we publish a new article by entering your email at the link at the bottom of this page, or by visiting Space Talk here on the website. It’s free, and you can cancel at any time.
After three weeks of analysis and discussion between Boeing, NASA, and United Launch Alliance following the May 8, 2024 scrub, Boeing’s long road to lofting crew aboard Starliner to low-Earth orbit will take a step towards launching. Liftoff of Atlas V and Starliner is scheduled for 12:25 PM EDT, Saturday, June 1st, from Space Launch Complex 41.
On May 22, Steve Stich, manager, NASA Commercial Crew Program said, “There has been a great deal of exceptional analysis and testing over the last two weeks by the joint NASA, Boeing, and ULA teams to replace the Centaur Self Regulating Valve and troubleshoot the Starliner Service Module helium manifold leak.”
He added, “It has been important that we take our time to understand all the complexities of each issue including the redundant capabilities of the Starliner propulsion system and any implications to our Interim Human Rating Certification. We will launch Butch and Suni on this test mission after the entire community has reviewed the teams’ progress and flight rationale at the upcoming Delta Agency Flight Test Readiness Review.”
That Flight Readiness Review was completed today, and all parties agreed that Starliner is “go” for liftoff.
Should weather or technical issues cause a scrub on Saturday, backup launch opportunities are available on Sunday, June 2, Wednesday, June 5, and Thursday, June 6.
Starliner CFT astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams returned to Kennedy Space Center yesterday, and will be completing their final preparations in anticipation of Saturday’s liftoff while they remain in quarantine at the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building.
According to a NASA press release issued today, “During a Delta-Agency Flight Test Readiness Review Wednesday at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, leaders from NASA, Boeing, and ULA (United Launch Alliance) verified launch readiness, including all systems, facilities, and teams supporting the test flight.”
The first step in the final phases of the launch campaign is to move the Atlas V launch vehicle with Starliner back to the launch pad from ULA’s Vertical Integration Facility, located about 1,800′ south of the pad. The journey is slated to about ninety minutes and is scheduled to start at 10 AM EDT, Thursday, May 30.
Late this evening, NASA released a statement to credentialed media saying that the oft-delayed Starliner Crewed Flight Test will not launch on May 25th as planned.
NASA, Boeing, and ULA are foregoing the Saturday, May 25 launch attempt for NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test. The team has been in meetings for two consecutive days, assessing flight rationale, system performance, and redundancy. There is still forward work in these areas, and the next possible launch opportunity is still being discussed.
NASA will share more details once we have a clearer path forward.
This mission has been delayed several times after the first launch attempt was scrubbed on May 6, 2024 due to a faulty valve on the second stage of Atlas V. The rocket was taken off its launch pad and moved back to ULA’s Vertical Integration Facility at SLC-41 where repairs were effected.
A Helium leak was discovered in the Starliner service module during that repair period, and mission managers have been apparently assessing the problem since then with no conclusion reached. There is no word — as of yet — as to whether Starliner will be de-stacked from the Atlas V rocket slated to carry it to orbit and the leaky seal repaired, or whether it will be deemed acceptable and the flight allowed to be launched with Starliner as-is.
That conclusion must be reached before a potential new launch date can be determined. If Starliner requires repair, it will likely take some time, likely best measured in weeks. If it is decided that the vehicle can fly as-is, there are potential launch dates on May 28, June 1 and 2, and June 5 and 6, 2024.
Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser ‘Tenacity’ arrived at Kennedy Space Center on May 18, and is now inside the Space Systems Processing Facility’s (SSPF) High Bay, where it will undergo final testing and prelaunch processing ahead of its maiden launch scheduled for later this year. The novel spacecraft will undergo acoustic and electromagnetic interference and compatibility testing, completion of work on the spaceplane’s thermal protection system, and final payload integration in the SSPF prior to launching later this year.
The move came after Tenacity finished its environmental test suite NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio. “Successful completion of an incredibly rigorous environmental testing campaign in close partnership with NASA is a significant milestone and puts Dream Chaser on track for operations later this year,” said Sierra Space CEO, Tom Vice on May 9th. “This is the year that we transition from rigorous research and development to regular orbital operations and – in doing so – transform the way we connect space and Earth.”
Dream Chaser will be the first vehicle to orbit from a legacy of six decades of experimental lifting body vehicle research. Previous iterations include NASA’s HL-20 spaceplane concept of the early 1990s, the X-20 Dyna-Soar, as well as Northrop M2-F2, Northrop M2-F3, Northrop HL-10, Martin Marietta X-24A and X-24B, and Martin Marietta X-23 PRIME vehicles.
On its first mission, Dream Chaser will deliver supplies to ISS, as well as test the vehicle on orbit through re-entry and landing. That mission should happen later this year aboard a ULA Vulcan rocket.
Credits
HL-10: NASA
HL-20 1: NASA
HL-20 2: NASA
M2-F2: NASA
X24-A: NASA
X-24-B: NASA
X-23 PRIME: National Archives via Dwayne Day
The Space Coast could see up to three launches this week: two Starlink launches from SpaceX, and if mission managers accept the current state of Boeing’s Starliner, at long last, the first crewed launch of the vehicle. Here’s a look at the schedule as it currently stands on Monday, May 20, 2024:
There has been a steady stream of Starlink Group 6 launches over the past several months, and this is another one of them. While the mission may be similar to many other recent launches, every rocket launch is slightly different and worth viewing, so despite the apparent lather-rinse-repeat nature of a Starlink launch by SpaceX, it will be worth viewing.
This launch may be interesting, especially if it launches at the beginning of the window or if it is pushed back into the twilight hours of early evening.
If it launches close to the beginning of the planned launch window in the golden light of late afternoon, it will be a gorgeous sight to see, with the rocket illuminated by the yellowish light of the last part of daytime. Playalinda Beach should be open to viewers during that time. Remember that Playalinda has a hard closing time of 8 PM, so if the launch is delayed past then, you will have to leave and find another spot to watch.
If the T-0 for launch is pushed to around 8:30 PM EDT and if skies are clear enough to see the rocket at MECO/Staging, we could see a repeat of the jellyfish phenomenon that wowed launch spectators late last week.
No launch provider plans liftoff based on spectators, however, so if either of those things happens, it will be because SpaceX mission managers have decided that Falcon 9 is ready for flight. That’s as it should be, as spaceflight is not an entertainment business.
This is the most tenuous launch planned for the week. This mission has been delayed several times after the first launch attempt was scrubbed on May 6, 2024 due to a faulty valve on the second stage of Atlas V. The rocket was taken off its launch pad and moved back to ULA’s Vertical Integration Facility at SLC-41 where repairs were effected.
A Helium leak was discovered in the Starliner service module during that repair period, and at the time of this writing, mission managers are evaluating the leak (it is within tolerances) to decide if it is acceptable for flight. Sometime during the week, the results of the analysis will be announced by NASA and Boeing, and the launch schedule for Starliner will become clearer.
If the launch proceeds as scheduled, northern viewpoints in Titusville will be best for spectators if they are not on-site at Kennedy Space Center Visitors Center. Playalinda will be closed to spectators as this is a northeastward launch with crew.
Several factors affect launch dates and times: weather, technical readiness and range availability.
There is an old saying in the spaceflight industry: “Hundreds of thousands of things have to go right for their to be a launch, but only one has to go wrong for there to be a scrub.” That and “It’s better to be on the ground fixing a problem rather than wishing you were on the ground fixing a problem.”
In other words, no one launches unless they are certain they are ready. That means scrubs and schedule shifts are very possible, and anyone planning to watch a launch, either in person or online, should be prepared for launch times and shifts. It’s the nature of the business.
You can keep up with the general launch schedule here at Talk of Titusville, as we pass along schedule changes as soon as we know them. On launch day, the launch company’s website is the official source of information and there are several YouTube and X.com streams available that will give you the latest information.
Keep up with launch news and other space events that affect the local area by subscribing to alerts when we publish a new article by entering your email at the link at the bottom of this page, or by visiting Space Talk here on the website. It’s free and you can unsubscribe at any time.
After a day of speculation and probably leaks of the information on background, NASA, Boeing and United Launch Alliance have announced that they are pushing the schedule back another four days for the Crewed Flight Test of Starliner. The launching will be “no earlier than 3:09 p.m. EDT Saturday, May 25, for the flight test carrying NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station,” according to a release from NASA.
As to the reason for the new delay, NASA stated:
“The additional time allows teams to further assess a small helium leak in the Boeing Starliner spacecraft’s service module traced to a flange on a single reaction control system thruster. Pressure testing performed on May 15 on the spacecraft’s helium system showed the leak in the flange is stable and would not pose a risk at that level during the flight. The testing also indicated the rest of the thruster system is sealed effectively across the entire service module. Boeing teams are working to develop operational procedures to ensure the system retains sufficient performance capability and appropriate redundancy during the flight. As that work proceeds, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and the International Space Station Program will take the next few days to review the data and procedures to make a final determination before proceeding to flight countdown.“
NASA, Boeing Now Working Toward May 25 Launch of Crew Flight Test
Reading between the lines, it seems that the leak has not been repaired but is instead “stable.” NASA and Boeing now have to “assess” whether this is an acceptable condition for flight. That decision will be made in the next few days and then everyone will have a better idea of when Starliner can launch with crew aboard for the first time.
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