More than two years after its second flight ended in failure, China’s biggest rocket, Long March 5, returned to work today successfully lofting a large experimental communications satellite, Shijian-20, into orbit. Roughly equivalent to the U.S. Delta IV Heavy, the Long March 5 is a critical component of China’s future robotic and human space flight plans.
Dennis Andrucyk will take over as Acting Director of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center next week following the retirement of George Morrow. Morrow has been Acting Director since Chris Scolese left at the end of July. A 31-year NASA veteran, Andrucyk has held a number of positions at NASA, including 26 years at Goddard. Currently he is Deputy Associate Administrator of the Science Mission Directorate (SMD) at NASA Headquarters.
Despite a troubled start and early end of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner Orbital Flight Test (OFT), NASA and Boeing officials were upbeat at a press conference this morning after a “bull’s eye” landing in New Mexico. While none were willing to commit to next steps until all the data are in hand and analyzed, the mood suggested that a requirement to repeat this uncrewed test is unlikely and the Crewed Flight Test (CFT) will be next.
Here is SpacePolicyOnline.com’s list of space policy events for the rest of 2019 (December 22-31) and any insight we can offer about them. The House and Senate are in recess, except for pro forma sessions. The Senate will return on January 3, 2020, the House on January 7.
Boeing’s uncrewed CST-100 Starliner spacecraft landed safely in New Mexico at 7:58 am ET this morning. The successful landing brings to an end the Orbital Flight Test (OFT) for Boeing’s commercial crew system that eventually will be used to ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS). The landing is a week earlier than planned because it could not achieve one of its main objectives — docking with the ISS — because it placed itself into the wrong orbit. No one is aboard this test flight.
NASA and Boeing have decided to bring Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft back to a landing at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico tomorrow. Landing is set for 7:57 am Eastern Standard Time. Starliner is conducting an uncrewed test flight and was unable to dock with the International Space Station (ISS) because a timing error placed it in the wrong orbit. Other test objectives are being met and landing will be one of them.
Late this evening, President Trump signed the FY2020 appropriations bills into law, averting a government shutdown and funding DOD, NASA, NOAA and other government agencies in the discretionary portion of the federal budget through September 30, 2020.
With a signature tonight, President Trump created a sixth military service — the U.S. Space Force — the first new service since the Air Force was established in 1947. Two years after a bipartisan duo on the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) began a campaign to reorganize DOD to raise the visibility of and attention to space activities as a critical element of U.S. military power, it is finally a reality.
Boeing’s uncrewed CST-100 Starliner spacecraft will not be docking to the International Space Station (ISS) tomorrow as planned. In fact it will not be docking at all. Although the launch itself went perfectly, an unknown problem with the Mission Elapsed Timer on Starliner caused the spacecraft’s own propulsion system to burn too much propellant achieving orbit. Not enough remains to rendezvous and dock with ISS. Tentatively, the automated space capsule will land at White Sands Missile Range, NM Sunday morning. No one is aboard the spacecraft.
Boeing’s uncrewed Starliner commercial crew spacecraft lifted off on time from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL this morning. The launch itself appears to have been flawless, but something happened thereafter that left the spacecraft in the wrong orbit.