What’s Happening in Space Policy November 13-19, 2022
Here is SpacePolicyOnline.com’s list of space policy events for the week of November 13-19, 2022 and any insight we can offer about them. The House and Senate are in session this week.
X-37B Back Home After Record Setting Duration in Orbit
The U.S. Space Force’s X-37B spaceplane landed in Florida this morning with the telltale double sonic boom heralding its arrival. On this sixth flight, OTV-6, it spent 908 days circling Earth on a classified mission, surpassing the previous record of 780 days. What little DOD will reveal about the flight is that for the first time it carried a service module that enabled more types of experiments and it also deployed an Air Force satellite, FalconSat-8, that is still in orbit.
Last Updated: Aug 23, 2025 3:59 pm ET
Joint NASA-ULA Test of New Heatshield Goes Even Better Than Planned
NASA and the United Launch Alliance teamed together to test a new type of heatshield that can be used here on Earth or on Mars. Launched today in conjunction with a new weather satellite for NOAA, the test went even better than planned, with the Low Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator, or LOFTID, successfully recovered from the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii.
Last Updated: Nov 10, 2022 11:51 pm ET
Divers Searching for Aircraft Wreckage Find Part of Space Shuttle Challenger
Divers searching for wreckage of a 1945 aircraft that disappeared instead found a 20-foot piece of NASA’s Space Shuttle Challenger. The HISTORY Channel will show what its divers found on a November 22 episode of a series about the Bermuda Triangle, although this was not found in that area, but off the coast of Cape Canaveral.
Last Updated: Nov 10, 2022 10:24 pm ET
NASA Upbeat About Artemis I After Hurricane Nicole’s Wrath
NASA sounded upbeat this afternoon about how well the Artemis I Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft weathered Hurricane Nicole over the past 24 hours. Asserting that wind speeds at the rocket’s 60-foot level were within tolerances, Jim Free, head of the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, tweeted that only minor damage has been noticed so far although more inspections are to come.
Last Updated: Nov 10, 2022 6:02 pm ET
Cygnus Arrives at ISS Despite Damaged Solar Array
Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus cargo spacecraft is safely berthed to the International Space Station today even though one of its two solar arrays was damaged during launch. NASA astronaut Nicole Mann used Canadarm2 to capture the spacecraft early this morning and ground controllers later installed it onto a docking port allowing its more than 8,200 pounds of equipment and supplies to be offloaded.
Last Updated: Nov 09, 2022 10:13 pm ET
Tropical Storm Nicole Forces Another Delay to Artemis I Launch
It seems NASA’s Artemis I just can’t catch a break. The uncrewed test flight of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft already was delayed by two scrubs and Hurricane Ian. Now, just as it was getting ready for another try, Tropical Storm Nicole is forcing another postponement. NASA announced this evening a two-day slip from November 14 to November 16, and that date is contingent on when the launch team can resume work. November 19 is a backup.
Last Updated: Nov 08, 2022 7:02 pm ET
Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus On Its Way to ISS, But With a Stuck Solar Array
Northrop Grumman successfully launched its Cygnus cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station this morning, but one of the two solar arrays did not deploy. The company is troubleshooting the problem while NASA assesses what issues could arise when berthing Cygnus to ISS in that condition. Cygnus is carrying equipment needed for a spacewalk next week, so those plans could change if berthing is not possible.
Last Updated: Nov 07, 2022 11:22 pm ET
NASA Watching Weather for Artemis I as Nicole Threatens
NASA once again is keeping a watchful eye on a tropical storm that could impact plans to launch the Artemis I uncrewed test flight of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft. A hurricane watch has just been posted for Florida’s Atlantic Coast for the storm named Nicole. The SLS/Orion stack was taken back to the safety of the Vehicle Assembly Building in September when Hurricane Ian hit the state and just rolled back to the launch pad on Friday.
Last Updated: Nov 13, 2022 6:01 pm ET
What’s Happening in Space Policy November 6-14, 2022
Here is SpacePolicyOnline.com’s list of space policy events for the week plus two days of November 6-14, 2022 and any insight we can offer about them. The House and Senate are in recess except for pro forma sessions.