NASA

Artist conception of a lunar rover in action.
Graphic: NASA

NASA has selected Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost, and Astrolab to design a Lunar Terrain Vehicle, the agency announced earlier today in a press conference held in Houston. Each company named today will begin with a feasibility task order, which will be a year-long special study to develop their system to meet NASA’s requirements through the preliminary design maturity project.

Afterward one or more qualifying companies will be chosen to complete a demonstration mission, where it/they will continue developing the LTV, deliver it to the surface of the Moon, and validate its performance and safety prior to Artemis V, the first mission planned to take advantage of the LTV. While they left the door open today for more than one, NASA stated in a press release today that they anticipate making an award to only one provider for the demonstration.

Artemis V is currently planned for no earlier than 2029.

Intuitive Machines Reaction

Intuitive Machines rendering of their “Moon Racer” LTV, one of the projects selected for additional development.
Graphic: Intuitive Machines

“This procurement strategically aligns with the Company’s flight-proven capability to deliver payloads to the surface of the Moon under the agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, further solidifying our position as a proven commercial contractor in lunar exploration,” said Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus in a press release issued by the company today. “Our global team is on a path to provide essential lunar infrastructure services to NASA in a project that would allow the Company to retain ownership of the vehicle for commercial utilization during periods of non-NASA activity over approximately ten years of lunar surface activity.”

Astrolab Reaction

Astrolab FLEX rover concept.
Photo: Astrolab

“Astrolab is honored to have its FLEX rover selected by NASA to participate in the development of creating a Lunar Terrain Vehicle for the Artemis Campaign,” said Jaret Matthews, founder & CEO, Astrolab in a press release issued today. “Our entire team, together with our business partners, are committed to delivering to NASA an LTV that serves as a critical tool in the agency’s efforts to establish a long-term human presence on the Moon.”

“We’re excited to work with Astrolab and the entire team to revolutionize lunar operations,” said Russell Ralston, Vice President of EVA, Axiom Space. “We look forward to offering our expertise in the design of vehicle interfaces for both the crew and spacesuits, ensuring astronaut safety and mobility on the surface of the Moon. This partnership showcases a collective commitment to pushing boundaries and driving advancements in space exploration.”

Lunar Outpost Reaction

Lunar Outpost will work with Lockheed Martin, General Motors, Goodyear and MDA Space to develop their LTV.

“Surface mobility is a critical capability for humanity’s future in space, and Lunar Outpost looks forward to driving value in the cislunar economy by providing a reliable, safe and capable vehicle that will be used to provide mobility to Artemis astronauts and perform critical missions autonomously on the Moon for commercial endeavors,” said Lunar Outpost CEO, Justin Cyrus. “We look forward to leveraging the strengths of Lockheed Martin, a company with extensive human and advanced space systems experience, and our other industry teammates, GM, Goodyear and MDA Space, to provide an unparalleled technical offering at a commercially viable price point.”

NASA Statement

“We look forward to the development of the Artemis generation lunar exploration vehicle to help us advance what we learn at the Moon,” said Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “This vehicle will greatly increase our astronauts’ ability to explore and conduct science on the lunar surface while also serving as a science platform between crewed missions.”

All Purpose Vehicle

Besides enduring the extreme lunar conditions of the Moon’s South Pole region, the new rover requirements include advanced power management, autonomous driving, communications and navigation systems. When crews are not actively using the rovers on their missions on the lunar surface, NASA also expects to be able to use the rovers remotely to “support NASA’s scientific objectives as needed.” NASA added that “Outside those times, the provider will have the ability to use their LTV for commercial lunar surface activities unrelated to NASA missions.”

“We will use the LTV to travel to locations we might not otherwise be able to reach on foot, increasing our ability to explore and make new scientific discoveries,” said Jacob Bleacher, chief exploration scientist in the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “With the Artemis crewed missions, and during remote operations when there is not a crew on the surface, we are enabling science and discovery on the Moon year around.”

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Delta IV Heavy on March 28, 2024
Photo: Charles Boyer / ToT

Today was an active day for launch scheduling: United Launch Alliance has announced that they will make their next attempt to launch Delta IV Heavy and NROL-70 on Tuesday April 9th, and later, NASA announced that the Crewed Flight Test of Boeing’s Starliner is now Monday, May 6th.

Delta IV Heavy / NROL-70

Delta IV was scrubbed at T-min 3:58 by a faulty gaseous nitrogen pump on its first attempt March 28, and at the time, ULA engineers and CEO Tory Bruno were optimistic that a second attempt could happen the next day. Unfortunately, the pump failed again, and ULA stated that they would announce a new launch date only when they were certain that they and NASA (who provides the N2 service to the pad) were past the problem.

Today ULA released their new target date:

DELTA IV HEAVY TO LAUNCH NROL-70

“A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV Heavy rocket is launching the NROL-70 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) from Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. This is the 16th and final launch of a Delta IV Heavy rocket. 

Launch Date and Time: April 9 at 12:53 p.m. EDT, pending range approval

GO Delta IV Heavy! GO NROL-70!“

United Launch Alliance, April 2, 2024

The launch will be from SLC-37 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Starliner Crewed Flight Test (CFT)

The Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft is lifted at the Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex-41 at Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on May 4, 2022.
Photo: NASA/Frank Michaux

Later on in the day, rumors of a shift in the Starliner launch date from May 1st came to pass when NASA made this announcement:

NASA, Boeing Update Launch Date for Starliner’s First Astronaut Flight

“Following a review of the International Space Station operations, NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test now is targeting no earlier than Monday, May 6, for Starliner’s first launch with astronauts to the orbital complex. The date adjustment optimizes space station schedule of activities planned toward the end of April, including a cargo spacecraft undocking and a crew spacecraft port relocation required for Starliner docking. NASA and Boeing also are performing prelaunch closeout work and completing final certification for flight.”

NASA, Boeing Update Launch Date for Starliner’s First Astronaut Flight

It should be noted that Starliner’s launch date was not moved due to any technical issue, but instead because of ISS logistics.

NASA Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore will be aboard Starliner when it heads to the International Space Station for a planned one week stay on the orbiting outpost.

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Astronaut Robert D. Cabana, mission commander, on Space Suttle orbiter Endeavour’s flight deck, logs a note regarding operations with Unity in 1998.
Photo: NASA

Robert D. “Bob” Cabana, a former NASA astronaut, NASA Associate Administrator (the agency’s third highest-ranking executive) and Director of Kennedy Space Center, has joined IBX, a firm that invests in and fosters innovation in space-related companies. Founded by engineer and entrepreneur Kam Ghaffirian, IBX supports companies Ghaffirian helped found: Axiom Space, Intuitive Machines, Quantum Space and X-energy along with other ventures. Cabana will serve as a Senior Advisor with the company.

Cabana, who flew on four Shuttle missions, as pilot on STS-41 and STS-53 and mission commander on STS-65 and STS-88, has logged 38 days in space. He is a graduate of the US Naval Academy and served in the US Marines prior to joining NASA.

“I’m truly excited to join Kam’s innovative team at IBX, supporting the continued advancement of our nation’s space program and pushing the boundaries of technology for a brighter future on Earth and beyond,” said Cabana in a press released issued today by IBX.

Axiom Space

Axiom Space has managed the flights of three groups of astronauts to the International Space Station, and has a fourth flight scheduled for later this year. They also have a contract to provide NASA with the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU), a spacesuit will provide astronauts advanced capabilities to access, live and work on and around the Moon.

Liftoff of Axiom-3 on January 18, 2024
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

Axiom is also currently building the first segment of a commercial space station, Axiom Station. Working with Thales Alenia Space, fabrication is well underway with a planned launch in 2026.

Axiom Station rendering.
Graphic: Axiom Space

Intuitive Machines

Intuitive Machines just completed their first lunar landing with IM-1, a NASA Commercial Lunar Payload System (CLPS) mission that was the first successful American landing on the Moon’s surface since the end of the Apollo program in 1972.

Intuitive Machines IM-1 before launching to the moon.
Photo: Intuitive Machines

That mission was partially successful in that it did complete the lunar landing, but it also had issues with its lander’s navigation system that resulted with a lander on its side near the south pole of the Moon. Intuitive has another CLPS mission scheduled for later this year using another of its Nova-C landers, and the company has said that it will incorporate lessons learned to during IM-1 into its IM-2 mission planned for sometime in Q4 2024.

Quantum Space

Quantum Space is a company that plans to provide data services beyond low-Earth orbit, in geosynchronous and cislunar space. It is creating a laser-based system that will be utilized in a modular fleet of spacecraft that will incorporate external payloads as well as data collection based on its own systems.

Rendering of Quantum Space Ranger
Graphic: Quantum Space

The QS-1 spacecraft — Ranger — launch is ostensibly scheduled for late 2024 and will include off-the-shelf processor and navigation electronics provided by Beyond Gravity, a subsidiary of RUAG. According to the company, “Ranger is powered by storable chemical propulsion and can transport rideshare payloads, from cubesats to larger OTV [Orbital Test Vehicles.]”

X-energy

X-energy is a reactor and fuel design engineering company. It is developing a Generation IV high-temperature gas-cooled pebble-bed nuclear reactor design that do not rely on active systems or power to ensure reactor safety. They are also developing a new reactor fuel called TRISO-X that can withstand four times the temperature of current nuclear fuel, but is priced similarly to those older materials.

A completed TRISO-X unit is about the size of a billiards ball, and is filled with tiny particles of enriched fuel that is triple-wrapped in a high temperature carbon ceramic material that makes the unit self-contained, meltdown-proof and mechanically resilient unit. Compared to current nuclear fuel rods, it is far safer, making it an ideal candidate for the next generation of nuclear reactors.

Based in Rockwell, Maryland, X-energy has received grants from the U.S. Department of Energy to advance X-energy’s reactor development program. In March 2023, X-energy and Dow Inc agreed to develop a grid-scale next-generation Xe-100 nuclear reactor at one of Dow’s sites on the Gulf Coast of the US.

Undoubtedly, Cabana’s experience and expertise will quite an asset to IBX and the companies it is invested in, and also undoubtedly, Cabana will be a busy man, given all of the activities that these companies are taking part in.

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Delta IV Heavy at SLC-37 on March 29, 2024
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

There will be no attempt to launch Delta IV Heavy from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station today as the company continues working with NASA and other US government agencies to correct the gaseous nitrogen problem that caused a scrub at T-minus three minutes and fifty-eight seconds last Thursday.

Scheduling Sites Were April Fooled:

According to many space launch scheduling sites, today was the expected day for the last Delta IV Heavy to head to orbit with the NROL-70 payload aboard. Those sites often use reliable secondary sources to make their scheduling predictions, for example, FAA notifications to pilots of planned launch activities. ULA never officially announced a new date for a launch attempt, and apparently, work continues on the issues that caused the original scrub.

While the scheduling sites are nearly always accurate in their lists, this time they panned out some fool’s gold and were incorrect.

Information from FAA.gov on Saturday, March 30, 2024

ULA Update On Sunday, March 30

Saturday, Talk of Titusville asked ULA CEO Tory Bruno for an update, and this was his reply:

ULA CEO Tory Bruno on the X platform.

Bruno also added that “[A]s frustrating as this delay might be, The overall all level of support we get from our USG partners is outstanding. Far better than anything we might experience on a daily basis in an average commercial airport going to and from a launch.” Clearly, everyone involved is working hard to rectify the issues keeping NROL-70 and Delta IV Heavy grounded.

Attempt on April 8?

Meanwhile, it appears that an April 8 launch attempt may be in the cards:

Information from FAA.gov on April 1, 2024

Keep in mind that this is the from the same set of sources that were incorrect over the weekend.

That is the same day and roughly the same time that a total solar eclipse will be making its way across a large swath of the US. The Space Coast will only see a partial eclipse, but it could be an interesting time to see a rocket in flight in the daytime.

Take it for what it is worth — ULA has still not announced a firm date/time for Delta IV Heavy as of the time of this writing. (Monday, April 1st at 8:30 AM EDT.)

Check back here at Talk of Titusville for any updates. We will pass them along as soon as they are available.

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Soyuz MS-25 lifts off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on March 23. 2024.
Photo: NASA

The Russian Federation’s Roscosmos launched a Soyuz capsule on the MS-25 mission to the International Space Station Saturday morning. Three crew members including NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson successfully launched at 8:36 a.m. EDT Saturday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the International Space Station.

The launch came after a two-day delay caused by an umbilical mast remaining connected to the rocket. Roscosmos engineers repaired the faulty equipment, and today’s launch went as expected.

At the time of launch, the ISS was over the South Pacific. Because of Thursday’s launch scrub, Soyuz will take about two days to reach the ISS instead of the planned two-orbit track that would have placed the crew at their destination the same day. They will now dock at the space station’s Prichal module at about 11:09 AM EDT. on Monday, March 25.

Dyson will begin a six-month stint aboard ISS as part of Expedition 70/71, while Novitskiy and Vasilevskaya will be aboard the station for 12 days before returning to Earth in the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft already docked at the orbiting outpost.

Dyson is scheduled to return to Earth in September along with Russian astronauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub. Both will be completing a year-long mission onboard the ISS.

This will be the third spaceflight for Dyson, the fourth for Novitskiy, and the first for Vasilevskaya.

note: Article was originally published by the author at Florida Media Now.

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Starliner CFT-2 launching May 19, 2022.
Photo: Charles Boyer / ToT

Boeing’s Crewed Flight Test of Starliner has pushed a little further to the right again and is now scheduled to launch no earlier than May 1st. That shift is not due to any concerns with the vehicle or its readiness, but instead, ISS scheduling, specifically docking port availability.

Steve Stich, NASA’s Manager of Commercial Crew said in a press conference today that “The launch date right now is no earlier than May 1, and that’s driven by the ISS traffic.” He added, “As you know, it’s been a busy year on ISS. We have a cargo vehicle en route right now, and Dana will talk a little bit more about that mission and then how, at the end of the undocked time frame, we have to set up for a crewed flight test.”

NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore emerge from the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, as part of an integrated crew exercise simulation for NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test (CFT). Photo credit: NASA/Isaac Watson

“I had a chance to go over to one of the recent simulations and watch Butch and Suni and talk to them a bit. They’re in great spirits. They are ready and anxious to fly both the Starliner vehicle and also anxious to get on board ISS once they get there. They’ll be there for just under two weeks and the main focus will be putting Starliner through its paces,” Stich said.

CFT Will Be A Busy Flight Test

Mark Nappi, Boeing’s Vice President and Program Manager of the Starliner Program outlined what promises to be a busy schedule for Williams and Willmore during the flight. “The CFT flight is really the introduction of crew into our vehicle system. So a lot of our flight test objectives are about how that interface is going to work.”

Mark Nappi, Boeing’s Vice President and Program Manager of the Starliner Program in today’s press conference.
Photo: NASA Livestream

As to flight test objectives, Nappi said, “We’ve got just under 90 of them. And it’s all, does the vehicle perform with the human in the loop, as expected?”

“We flew OFT-2,” Nappi added, “And that was the uncrewed mission for the Starliner vehicle. It was very successful. Now we introduce the human. And so what are we going to do to establish that interface?”

“From prelaunch through ascent, we’re going to be looking at how the astronauts fit into the seats, how they interface with the equipment in the vehicle. when we go through approach and rendezvous.” After that, Nappi said, “We’ll confirm the thruster performance and manual scenarios are working as expected. We’ll check the communications. We’ll check the manual and auto navigation systems and the operation of the life support system with crew now in the vehicle.”

Starliner at ISS
Photo: Boeing

After arriving at ISS, Nappi said “once we’re on dock, we’ll look at hatch operations and how that works with the crew. And, once we get past the first few days, we’ll go into a quiescent mode and make sure that performs Rnominally. And then after that, it’s about crew, excuse me, about cargo transfer.”

Preparing for re-entry and landing will also be a major set of test objectives: “We’ll undock,” Nappi said. “We’ll confirm our manual piloting system. We’ll be able to go into the backup mode and let Butch and Suni use the hand controllers to make sure the vehicle reacts as expected.”

Starliner after landing a test flight at White Sands, NM
Photo: NASA

Finally, Nappi said, “How we separate from the crew module with the service module and how we re enter and use the parachute systems and test the landing systems out. So a lot of nominal operations, but this time the crew is involved and so we want to check that interface out.”

“CFT is a test flight, so we expect that there may be some lessons learned,” Nappi concluded.

Williams and Willmore’s flight is expected to last around eight days.

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Yesterday’s planned launch of Soyuz M-25 to the International Space Station was aborted with twenty seconds left in the countdown. NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy, and spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya of Belarus are fine, and were evacuated from the Soyuz capsule shortly afterwards.

According to state-owned Russian domestic news agency RIA Novosti, the launch was canceled due to a voltage drawdown of a chemical power source.

“All preparations for liftoff on March 21 went without a hitch until around L-20-second mark when the Emergency Engine Cutoff, AVD, command interrupted the final countdown. At that moment, the launch control had already issued the “Pusk” (launch) command (normally issued at L-19 seconds), however, one umbilical mast, VKM (from the Russian Verkhnyaya Kabel Machta), located above the surface of the pad, remained connected to the rocket, with its nominal retraction usually taking place at L-15 seconds in the countdown.”

Anatoly Zak, Russian Space Web

Russian space reporter Katya Pavlushchenko posted later on the X platform that this launch was “the first time ever when a crewed Soyuz launch was aborted a few minutes before launch. If it happened before, it was a day before launch during the standard checks.”

Soyuz MS-25 crew members: (L-R) Tracy C. Dyson, Oleg Novitskiy, and Marina Vasilevskaya.
Photo: Credits: GCTC/Andrey Shelepin

The launch has been postponed to March 23, at 7:36 AM EDT.  Coverage of launch and docking activities will air live on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website.

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SpaceX / NASA CRS-30 liftoff aboard Falcon 9 on March 21, 2024.
Photo: Ed Cordero, Florida Media Now

SpaceX launched its thirtieth resupply mission to the International Space Station on Thursday from Pad SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Launch was right on time at 4:55 PM EDT into nearly perfect weather. Today’s launch was the company’s 27 launch of the year so far.

Talk of Titusville Publisher Michael Lynch caught this view of CRS-30 lifting off from Titusville
Photo: Michael Lynch, Talk of Titusville

Several minutes after launch, the booster used for the flight — B1080 — returned to CCSFS and touched down successfully, completing its mission for the day and sixth mission overall while the payload continued to orbit. A sonic boom heard across the Space Coast region heralded the arrival of the booster, which touched down at SpaceX’s LZ-1 only a few miles from the launch pad at SLC-40.

This launch was the first Cargo Dragon 2 spacecraft from SLC-40 and will be the first mission-use of the newly installed Crew Access Arm on the SLC-40 launch tower. 

Late in the first stage’s booster flight over Florida skies yesterday.
Photo: Ed Cordero, Florida Media Now

The Cargo Dragon spacecraft is planned to arrive at ISS at 7:30 AM EDT on Saturday, where it will autonomously dock to Station’s Harmony module on the zenith port.

After docking, the spacecraft is expected to spend about a month attached to ISS before it returns to Earth off the coast of Florida.

Booster B1080

Thursday’s flight was the sixth for Booster 1080. It entered service on May 21, 2023 when it carried four astronauts aboard the Axion-2 mission. Its most recent flight before yesterday was the Axiom-3 mission, where it again carried four astronauts to orbit.

Booster B1080
Flight NumberMissionDate
1Axiom-2May 21, 2023
2EuclidJuly 1, 2023
3Starlink 6-11August 27 2023
4Starlink 6-24October 22, 2023
5Axiom-3January 18, 2024
6CRS-30March 21, 2024
Booster B1080 Flight Record as of March 21, 2024

Dragon

This is the fourth mission for Cargo Dragon C209.

Crew Dragon 2
Serial NumberC209
DestinationInternational Space Station
Flights4
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Rocket Lab Electron Launch at Wallops Island in Virginia
A Rocket Lab Electron departing this morning from Wallops Island, Virginia
Photo: Charles Boyer / ToT

Rocket Lab launched for the fourth time from US soil and for the first time this year earlier this morning when it sent the NROL-123 classified payload to orbit from Wallops Island, Virginia. Liftoff was at 3:25 AM EDT after the company’s engineers resolved a brief hold.

Rocket Lab’s “Live And Let Fly” lifts off Thursday, March 21, 2024
Photo: Charles Boyer / ToT

The classified payload was launched aboard Rocket Lab’s nine-engine Electron from Launch Complex (LC) 2 at Wallops, and its fourth from that facility. Electron is a 59-foot tall rocket capable of launching around 300 kilograms of mass.

The mission — designated “Live And Let Fly” by Rocket Lab, carried the fourth and last from the Rapid Acquisition of a Small Rocket (RASR) contract agreed to by NRO and Rocket Lab in 2020.

“Live And Let Fly” Mission logo
Graphic: Rocket Lab
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Cargo Dragon on the launch pad at SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station with the Crew Access Arm attached.
Photo: SpaceX

SpaceX will launch its thirtieth resupply mission to the International Space Station on Thursday from Pad SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Launch time is set for 4:55 PM EDT in an instantaneous window.

This is an RTLS (Return To Launch Site) mission, meaning Falcon 9 will return and land at LZ-1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. A sonic boom heard across the Space Coast region will herald the arrival of the booster.

This launch will be the first Cargo Dragon 2 spacecraft from SLC-40 and will be the first mission-use of the newly installed Crew Access Arm on the SLC-40 launch tower. 

The Cargo Dragon spacecraft is planned to arrive at ISS at 7:30 AM EDT on Saturday, where it will autonomously dock to Station’s Harmony module on the zenith port.

After docking, the spacecraft is expected to spend about a month attached to ISS before it returns to Earth off the coast of Florida.

Weather

According to the 45th Weather Squadron, the Probability of Violation is 10%, meaning there is a 90% chance of acceptable weather. Prime concerns are the Thick Cloud Layers Rule, Cumulus Cloud Rule.

Trajectory

Northeast, along the orbital inclination of the International Space Station.

Booster

SpaceX has not yet announced which Falcon 9 booster it is using for this launch.

Dragon

Crew Dragon 2
Serial NumberC209
DestinationInternational Space Station
Flights3

Online Viewing

Official Webcast on YouTube: Click Here

  • 4:35 p.m. – Launch coverage begins
  • 4:55 p.m. – Launch

SpaceX generally provides live launch coverage starting fifteen minutes prior to launch on their account on the X platform. Click here

Spaceflight Now will provide launch coverage one hour prior to liftoff on their YouTube channel. Click here

In Person Viewing

Tomorrow’s launch is from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral, which means that the best direct views of liftoff are at either the Banana River Bridge on FL-528 W near Port Canaveral, or the southern parks on US-1 / S. Washington Avenue in Titusville. The Banana River Bridge will offer both a direct view of the launch pad as well as an excellent view of the returning booster.

Jetty Park in Port Canaveral has good views, but viewers will not be able to see the launch pad directly. Once Falcon 9 rises over the sand berm on the north side of the Port’s inlet, however, an excellent view of the rocket rising is available. Jetty Park is also an excellent spot to see the booster landing.

Important Note: Jetty Park has an entry fee and requires advance purchase of a pass.  CLICK HERE to purchase parking passes.

The ascending rocket will also be visible on the beaches after liftoff when Falcon 9 clears any obstructions.

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