Category Archives: Spacex

Officially, NASA intends to land astronauts on Mars by about 2040, give or take a year or two. Recently, SpaceXs president and chief operating officer, Gwynne Shotwell,told CNBCthat the aerospace company will beat NASA to Mars by at least a decade.

Ordinarily, these kinds of predictions would cause eye rolling. However, SpaceX, under the direction of its CEO, Elon Musk, has accomplished things that were once considered science fiction, including the routine landing and reuse of its workhorse rocket the Falcon 9. When anyone associated with SpaceX talks, the world listens.

Musks long-term goal is to establish a human settlement on Mars. That goal seems to inform just about everything else he has undertaken during his career as an entrepreneur. The Starship, the massive reusable rocket that SpaceX is developing at its facility in Boca Chica, Texas, is intended to be the instrument of that goal, as it may take the first settlers and supplies across the interplanetary gulfs to the red planet.

What has to happen before Shotwells prediction becomes reality? First, the Federal Aviation Administration has toapprove the Starship for flight, a process that has been repeatedly delayed but is now scheduled for the end of May 2022.

When launches of the Starship/Superheavy rocket proceed from Boca Chica, many things must go right in short order for Shotwells promise of humans on Mars before this decade is out to happen. The first thing will be for the rocket to conduct orbital missions successfully, with both the Super Heavy and the Starship landing back at Boca Chica without exploding.According to Bloomberg, Shotwell hopes those flights will begin the summer of 2022.

Next, SpaceX will have to prove it is capable of in-orbit refueling. Refueling capability will be crucial for the Human Landing System variant of the Starship to take astronauts and cargo to the moon and back as part of NASAs Project Artemis to return to the moon. Currently, SpaceX is scheduled to conduct an uncrewed mission to the lunar surface in 2024 and then land the first humans on the moon since the end of the Apollo program the following year.

If all of the above happens successfully, then SpaceX might be ready to send a Starship to Mars. The first one will likely be uncrewed, packed with cargo, including equipment to start setting up an initial Mars base. One crucial device will be a machine to turn Martian air, primarily carbon dioxide, into rocket fuel methane, to be precise. Musk is already developing ways toconvert CO2 to methane on Earth,which not only would help create rocket fuel but also could remove a greenhouse gas from this planets atmosphere.

A cargo Starship mission to Mars would have lots of room to carry shared payloads. Presumably, an organization that wants to send a rover or anything else to the red planet would be able to buy a ride.

The final launch window for Mars in this decade would take place in late 2028 and early 2029. For Shotwells promise to be fulfilled, the first human expedition to Mars must depart from Earth during that window.

The voyage would be fraught with great danger. Radiation and the rigors of microgravity will threaten the astronauts on the trip to Mars. After having landed on the red planet, explorers are expected to confront a myriad of conditions that could kill them. Indeed, Musk has warned that a certain number of people who go to Marswill likely die in the attempt.

Will the crew of the first Starship to Mars return to Earth after a sojourn of exploration and discovery? Or will they pledge to stay on Mars, preparing the way for the settlers who follow their lead?

Will NASA and other national space agencies such as the European Space Agency pay for seats for their own astronauts? If SpaceX pulls this off, the idea of a government-centric expedition to Mars would seem superfluous.

Any attempt to send astronauts on a 100 million-mile voyage to Mars will be risky. For a private company, even SpaceX, to undertake it will seem to be incredible. A disaster would redound very badly for SpaceX and Musk. But success would be history making, to say the least.

MarkR.Whittingtonis the authorofspace explorationstudiesWhy is It So Hard to Go Back to the Moon?as well asThe Moon, Mars and Beyond,andWhy is America Going Back to the Moon?He blogs atCurmudgeons Corner.

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SpaceX says it will beat NASA to Mars this decade - The Hill

Space is important to usand thats why we'reworking to bring you top coverage of theindustry and Florida launches. Journalism like this takes time and resources. Please support it with a subscription here.

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Update: Liftoff! SpaceX successfully launched this mission from Cape Canaveral at 4:40 p.m. EDT, then landed the brand new booster on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. It should arrive at Port Canaveral by early next week.Read the full post-launch story here.

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Conditions should be mostlysolid for the weekend launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, a mission flying during a primetime window on Saturday.

Forecasters with the Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45 on Thursday said weather around Launch Complex 40 should be 70% "go" during an instantaneous windowat 4:38 p.m. EDT. A 230-foot Falcon 9 rocket will take a batch of Starlink internet satellites to low-Earth orbit.

"Forecast soundings show the presence of deep southwesterly winds above the surface," forecasters said in their latest report. "This could help bring anvil clouds back over the spaceport during the count."

The potential for cumulus and anvil clouds were noted as the main concerns ahead of liftoff, while downrange upper-level winds and conditions for a drone ship recovery were both listed as "low risk."

Back on the ground, spectators should see comfortable conditions: roughly 83 degrees, 10 to 15 mph winds, and lower-than-usual humidity at 59%. Falcon 9 will fly toward the northeast.

In the event of a delay to Sunday, the forecast and "percent go" remain the same.

Saturday's launch marks the 47th for the Starlink internet constellation rapidly pushing to 2,500 operational satellites. The network was recently selected to provide free in-flight internet to passengers on Hawaiian Airlines flights; on the other side of the world, Ukrainian forces continue to use Starlink to coordinate their defense against Russia's invasion. SpaceX founder Elon Musk on Wednesday said Russian attempts to hack and bring down the network have been unsuccessful so far.

For the latest, visit floridatoday.com/launchschedule.

Contact Emre Kelly at aekelly@floridatoday.com or 321-242-3715. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @EmreKelly.

Launch Saturday, May 14

Visitfloridatoday.com/spaceat 3 p.m. EDT Saturday, May 14, for real-time updates and video of launch.

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Weather looks good for weekend SpaceX Falcon 9 launch from Florida - Florida Today

There's been discussion about which human-made objects can be "seen from space." If you have a good enough zoom lens, you can spot even fairly small things, like a SpaceX Crew Dragon on a Falcon 9 rocket at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

European Space Agency astronaut Matthias Maurer was part of the Crew-3 mission to the International Space Station. He returned to Earth earlier in May and is sharing some views from his trip, including a spot-the-spacecraft challenge.

"Can you spot Crew Dragon Freedom on the launch pad in this image of NASA Kennedy? I took it as we waited for Crew-4 to be launched," Maurer tweeted on Friday.

The photo shows the coast of Florida with an overlay of fluffy clouds. Finding the Crew Dragon used to launch four new visitors to the ISS in late April requires keen eyes and some knowledge of the layout of Kennedy Space Center.

Spoiler: Here's where Crew Dragon launches from the Kennedy Space Center.

SpaceX launches its crewed Dragon missions for NASA from Launch Complex 39A, the historic home of multiple Apollo and space shuttle missions.

Blowing the image up and staring at in on my computer screen induced a little vertigo, but I did manage to track down the launch pad location. It's a little tricky because there are two launch complexes very near to each other. I've given a helpful cropped view with a red circle in case you're still looking.

If you like space photo challenges, then try your hand at finding the Big Dipper, a sneaky human-made object in an expanse of blue andMount Everest. If those are too hard, then here's one you can't miss: a giant letter "G."

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Try to Spot the SpaceX Crew Dragon in This Snapshot From the ISS - CNET

Of late, Chinese military observers have been increasingly concerned about the potential of SpaceXs Starlink satellite network in helping the US military dominate space, especially so, in the wake of the Ukraine war, where Elon Musk activated Starlink satellites to restore communications that had stopped because of shelling by the Russian troops.

A recent commentary in the official newspaper of the Chinese armed forces suggested that the international community should be on high alert for the risks associated with the Starlink satellite internet system, as the US military could potentially use it for dominating outer space.

The commentary came one day ahead of SpaceXs launch of the Falcon 9 rocket that took off on May 6 from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center, carrying 53 Starlink internet satellites to the low-earth orbit (LEO).

SpaceX has decided to increase the number of Starlink satellites from 12,000 to 42,000 the programs unchecked expansion and the companys ambition to use it for military purposes should put the international community on high alert, said the article on China Military Online, the official news website affiliated with the Central Military Commission (CMC), Chinas highest national defense organization headed by President Xi Jinping himself.

The article notes the SpaceX Starlinks role during the Russia-Ukraine war, where Elon Musk provided Starlink terminals to restore communications in those parts of the country where internet or phone connection had stopped following the shelling by Russian troops.

Starlink was the only non-Russian communications system still working in some parts of Ukraine in the wake of the invasion, claimed SpaceX founder Elon Musk.

However, there have also been reports of Starlink aiding the Ukrainian armed forces in precision strikes against Russian tanks and positions, which has not been unnoticed by Chinese military observers.

In addition to supporting communication, Starlink, as experts estimated, could also interact with UAVs [Unmanned Aerial Vehicles] and, using big data and facial recognition technology, might have already played a part in Ukraines military operations against Russia, said the China Military Online article.

The Ukrainian aerial reconnaissance unit Aerorozvidka has been found using Starlink to monitor and coordinate UAVs enabling soldiers to fire anti-tank weapons with targeted precision. Only the systems high data rates can provide the stable communication required.

We use Starlink equipment and connect the drone team with our artillery team, an officer with the Ukrainian aerial reconnaissance unit, Aerorozvidka told The Times. If we use a drone with thermal vision at night, the drone must connect through Starlink to the artillery guy and create target acquisition, the officer said.

Another remarkable event was SpaceXs swift response to a Russian jamming effort targeting its Starlink Satellite service which was appreciated by the Pentagons Director for Electromagnetic Warfare.

Elon Musk had claimed that Russia had jammed Starlink terminals in Ukraine for hours at a time, following which he also said that after a software update, Starlink was operating normally.

And suddenly that [Russian jamming attack] was not effective anymore. From [the] EW technologists perspective, that is fantastic and how they did that was eye-watering to me, said Dave Tremper, the Director of electronic warfare for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, in response to Musks claims.

The China Military Online commentary listed the numerous instances since 2019 when Starlink has cooperated with the US military, which also included the successful data transmission test conducted by the US Air Force (USAF) on March 31.

The tests were aimed at evaluating and exploring high-speed communications in support of F-35As operations in remote or austere locations and the USAF stated that they witnessed connection speeds that were about 30 times faster than the current military satellite systems.

An unmanned wingman fitted with a Starlink device can serve as a tactical relay platform to transmit data to fighter jets, which means an operator can command a large number of UAVs to carry out tasks at the same time, the article further noted, citing an unnamed expert.

It also raised a possibility, again citing unnamed experts, that Starlink could form a second and independent internet that threatened states cyberspace sovereignty.

Some experts said if SpaceX installs a few root servers in the space, it can make Starlink the second independent global Internet, which will pose a serious challenge to all countries in defending their cyberspace sovereignty and protecting their information security, said the China Military Online article.

Another concern for Chinese military analysts has been the scarcity of frequency bands and orbital slots for satellites to operate, which they believe are being quickly acquired by other countries.

Orbital position and frequency are rare strategic resources in space, said the article, while noting, The LEO can accommodate about 50,000 satellites, over 80% of which would be taken by Starlink if the program were to launch 42,000 satellites as it has planned.

SpaceX is undertaking an enclosure movement in space to take a vantage position and monopolize strategic resources, the article further added.

Chinese military observers have repeatedly said that the US is having a head start in space regarded as a future battlefield by militaries across the world by rushing to establish the next-generation military communications network based on satellite internet capability.

That said, this is not the first time China has raised concerns about Starlink. In December 2021, China complained to the UN Space Committee that its Tiangong Space Station had had two near misses with Starlink satellites.

Also, there was another commentary published in January by China Military Online, which warned that Starlink with a civil cloak causes high alert.

Space is a common resource shared by all humanity, and exploring and using it concerns humanitys common interests. No country shall have its full swing, much less is the orbital space Americas exclusive privilege, the commentary said.

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China Deeply Alarmed By SpaceXs Starlink Capabilities That Is Helping US Military Achieve Total Space Dominance - EurAsian Times

From dodging space debris to welcoming the first-ever fully private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, SpaceX's Crew-3 mission had a very eventful six months off Earth.

Crew-3 docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on Nov. 11, and the mission's four astronauts witnessed a rapidly changing space environment almost from the moment they arrived. For example, a Russian anti-satellite test on Nov. 16 created a cloud of debris that soon forced the astronauts to shelter in their SpaceX Dragon capsule Endurance as a precaution.

"Scared would be the wrong word" to describe how the crew felt in those minutes, Crew-3 pilot and veteran NASA astronaut Tom Marshburn told reporters during a livestreamed press conference Wednesday (May 11). He was speaking five days after his safe splashdown off the coast of Tampa, Florida, with fellow NASA astronauts Raja Chari and Kayla Barron and the European Space Agency's Matthias Maurer.

"I think 'acting with a purpose' that's what we were doing," Marshburn said of the crew's activities during their "shelter in place" procedures. "But even from the very first call we got from the ground," he added, "it was pretty much like we trained. I was like, 'OK, here's the way you need to have this procedure.'"

In photos: SpaceX's Crew-3 astronaut launch for NASA

Here on Earth, international relationships changed markedly on Feb. 24 when Russia, a major ISS partner, invaded Ukraine. Russia's actions were condemned internationally, and many of its space partnerships splintered as a result.

However, despite rumors of trouble, work on the space station has continued without interruption.

"As far as the international relations go, that has not changed at all, and we've had a 40-plus year relationship with our international partners and with our Russian colleagues as well," Marshburn said, referring at least as far back as the joint Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission of 1975.

"In my opinion, one of the greatest legacies of the space station will be that we are all living together all the international partners together," he added. "We're working together; we're doing what I believe to be great things. And we rely on each other for our survival. So, on the space station, that has not changed at all."

Marshburn also paid tribute to the contributions of the Ax-1 crew, the debut effort by Houston-based company Axiom Space to send private astronauts to the space station. (Like Crew-3, Ax-1 was flown by SpaceX.) He said Crew-3 was very impressed by the "gracious and kind" Ax-1 astronauts, which included three paying customers and former NASA astronaut Michael Lpez-Alegra, who now works for Axiom.

Marshburn said he was especially impressed with the Ax-1 crewmembers' work given that their training cycle lasted only a few months much shorter than the typical two years endured by a space station crew.

"What they brought up with them was a complex suite of experiments; it was challenging for us to...get our work done, as well as to assist them, but overall it was extremely positive. We enjoyed getting to know them," he said.

Marshburn's three crewmates were all rookie astronauts, and each one enthused about the opportunity to experience space for the first time. Maurer said the Crew-3 mission had "all the elements I was hoping for: outstanding launch, perfect mission, with a lot of science in between."(Marshburn had two spaceflights under his belt before Crew-3.)

Unusually, every person on Crew-3 even got to experience a spacewalk. Since extravehicular activities are dependent upon the pace of launching new hardware and maintenance work coming up, spacewalks generally aren't firmly scheduled until very late in a crew's training cycle, or when the crew is actually in space.

Barron said she was amazed at how well the training replicated what she experienced in space.

"We were prepared; we were technically ready," she said during Wednesday's telecon. "We were really ready to launch when we launched and go up there and do some incredible things. It was just this awe-inspiring experience and incredible honor to represent the NASA team and family."

Chari, Crew-3's commander, said he was impressed by the teamwork he saw in space and shared an anecdote about participating in "Mustache March." Chari, a United States Air Force colonel, was referring to a branch tradition meant to honor Robin Olds. Olds was a Vietnam-era ace fighter pilot who maintained a handlebar mustache and snubbed "grooming regulations" of the era, according to a USAF blog post.

Chari said he removed the mustache before landing. "My wife would not tolerate the mustache ... and it would also throw off the Dragon center of gravity," he joked. "So I shaved it."

Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter@howellspace. Follow uson Twitter@Spacedotcomand onFacebook.

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SpaceX's Crew-3 astronauts dish on their action-packed 6 months in orbit - Space.com

An astronaut from an Arab nation will head to the International Space Station (ISS) for a long-term stay next year for the first time ever, if all goes according to plan.

The Houston company Axiom Space announced today (April 29) that it has signed a deal with the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center (MBRSC), the space agency of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to fly a UAE astronaut to the orbiting lab on SpaceX's Crew-6 mission, which is expected to launch in 2023.

A UAE astronaut has been to the ISS once before; Hazza Al Mansoori traveled to the orbiting lab aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft in the fall of 2019 and lived there for eight days. But Crew-6 is expected to be a full-duration ISS mission, lastingabout six months.

Axiom Space: Building the off-Earth economy

"Axiom Space is proud to provide MBRSC with a flight opportunity for a UAE astronaut, enabling its first long-term mission to the ISS," Michael Suffredini, president and CEO of Axiom Space, said in a company statement today.

The seat was Axiom's to sell thanks to an exchange with NASA. The agency traded it for an Axiom-procured seat on a Soyuz that was ultimately filled by NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei, who came home March 30 after an American-record 355-day stay aboard the ISS.

"Since the seats were deemed of equal value, there will be no future exchange of funds between NASA and Axiom for the flight opportunity," Axiom representatives wrote in the same statement. "Axioms agreement with MBRSC is between the company and the UAE space agency."

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Axiom Space ultimately aims to assemble and operate its own space station in low Earth orbit, but the company also organizes crewed flights to the ISS. In fact, Axiom just sent the first-ever all-private astronaut mission to the orbiting lab a flight with SpaceX called Ax-1, which launched on April 8 and splashed down this past Monday (April 25).

Crew-6 will be the sixth operational astronaut mission that SpaceX flies to the ISS for NASA. The four-person mission will be commanded by NASA astronaut Stephen Bowen and feature the agency's Warren Hoburg as pilot. The identities of the other two crewmembers including the UAE astronaut have not yet been announced.

Mike Wall is the author of "Out There" (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate), a book about the search for alien life. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or on Facebook.

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United Arab Emirates astronaut to fly to space station with SpaceX next year - Space.com

The SpaceX Crew-3 astronauts seemed to be enjoying themselves as they tested out their spacesuits ahead of their return to Earth next week from the International Space Station.

In new photos, the Crew-3 astronauts can be seen smiling in their now-iconic black-and-white SpaceX spacesuits and helmets, making full use of the lack of gravity. The crew, which includes NASA astronauts Raja Chari, Kayla Barron and Thomas Marshburn as well as European Space Agency astronaut Matthias Maurer, posed for a couple photos while they performed a fit check with their Dragon spacesuits on April 21 ahead of their departure from the station.

The crew will put their suits back on when they board their Dragon and undock from the International Space Station, which could be on Star Wars Day, or May the 4th, Steve Stich, the manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida manager, said during a news conference following the Crew-4 launch on Wednesday (April 27).

Live updates:SpaceX's Crew-4 astronaut mission for NASAIn pictures:Amazing launch photos of SpaceX's Crew-4 launch

Currently, the team is working towards undocking "around May 4 for Crew-3 and then a landing probably about one day later on May 5 if the weather's good," Stich said.

The Crew-3 astronauts launched to the station aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule, named Endurance by the crew, atop a Falcon 9 rocket on November 10, 2021 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. This was the Dragon's first flight to space as well as the first spaceflight for crew astronauts Chari, Barron and Maurer; Marshburn is the only crewmember who had flown to space previously.

The Crew-4 astronauts launched early on April 27 and arrived later that night. The astronauts will have a few days for a "handover period" during which the previous crew readies the newcomers for their mission and "hands over the reins," so-to-speak.

Crew-3 was the fourth crewed launch for SpaceX, following the Crew-2, Crew-1 and Demo-2 missions to the space station. Crew-4 makes five and it doesn't look like SpaceX will be slowing down any time soon.

The company continues to launch crewed missions to the station with its Falcon 9 rocket aboard its Dragon capsule under a contract with NASA's Commercial Crew Program. Boeing is also contracted within that program to develop and build a crew capsule to ferry astronauts to space and back. The first uncrewed test flight of its capsule, Starliner, in 2019 didn't go as planned and the company is currently working toward a second uncrewed test flight, set to launch this year.

Email Chelsea Gohd at cgohd@space.com or follow her on Twitter@chelsea_gohd. Follow us on Twitter@Spacedotcomand on Facebook.

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SpaceX Crew-3 astronauts have fun testing spacesuits before coming home (photos) - Space.com

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off for a record-tying 12th time on Thursday (April 21) and aced its 12th landing as well.

The two-stage Falcon 9 launched Thursday at 1:51 p.m. EDT (1751 GMT) from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, carrying 53 of SpaceX's Starlink internet satellites to orbit.

It was the 12th liftoff for this particular Falcon 9 first stage, tying a SpaceX reuse record set just last month on a different Starlink launch. And it likely won't be this booster's last flight; about 8.5 minutes after liftoff, it came down for a safe landing on the SpaceX droneship Just Read The Instructions, which was stationed in the Atlantic Ocean off the Florida coast.

The Falcon 9's second stage, meanwhile, continued carrying the Starlink spacecraft to orbit. The 53 satellites deployed into their parking orbit as planned, SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk announced via Twitter about an hour and 20 minutes after liftoff.

Related: SpaceX's Starlink megaconstellation launches in photos

The Starlink megaconstellation provides internet service to customers around the world, including in Ukraine. In fact, SpaceX, in partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development, has sent thousands of Starlink terminals to Ukraine to help the nation maintain communications capabilities, which have been degraded by the ongoing Russian invasion.

SpaceX has launched more than 2,300 Starlink satellites to date but plans to loft many more. The next-generation version of the megaconstellation could consist of up to 30,000 spacecraft, according to paperwork filed by the company.

And Starlink satellites have been going up at brisk pace recently; nine of the 15 missions that SpaceX has launched so far this year have been dedicated Starlink flights.

Another of those 15 was a crewed flight the April 8 launch of the Ax-1 mission, which sent four private astronauts to the International Space Station. And SpaceX has another crewed flight coming up soon as well the Crew-4 mission for NASA, which will send four professional spaceflyers to the orbiting lab for a lengthy stay.

Crew-4 is currently scheduled to lift off no earlier than April 26. That date recently slipped a few days due to bad weather in the projected splashdown zone for Ax-1, which pushed that mission's planned departure from the station from Tuesday (April 19) to Saturday (April 23). NASA officials have said they want at least a two-day window between Ax-1's splashdown and Crew-4's launch.

Editor's note: This story was updated at 2:10 p.m. EDT (1810 GMT) with news of successful liftoff, then again at 6 p.m. EDT (2200 GMT) with news of satellite deployment.

Mike Wall is the author of "Out There" (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate), a book about the search for alien life. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or on Facebook.

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SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches on record-tying 12th mission, lands on ship at sea - Space.com

SpaceX will launch a spy satellite for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) on Sunday morning (April 17), and you can watch the liftoff live.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket topped with the NROL-85 spacecraft is scheduled to lift off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Sunday at 9:13 a.m. EDT (1313 GMT; 6:13 a.m. local California time). You can watch it live here at Space.com, courtesy of SpaceX, or directly via the company.

In addition to the launch, SpaceX plans to bring the first stage of the two-stage Falcon 9 back to Vandenberg for a pinpoint touchdown about eight minutes after liftoff. It will be the second launch and landing for this particular first stage, which also helped launch the NROL-87 spacecraft in February, according to a SpaceX mission description.

Related: 8 ways SpaceX has transformed spaceflight

The NRO operates the United States' fleet of spy satellites. The activities and payloads of most of these spacecraft are classified, and NROL-85 is no exception; we don't know much about the satellite or what exactly it will do once it reaches orbit. In addition, SpaceX will likely end the broadcast shortly after launch, as the NRO usually requests.

Friday's launch is part of a very busy stretch for SpaceX. On April 8, the company launched Ax-1, the first-ever all-private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS), from NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida.

The Ax-1 SpaceX Dragon capsule is scheduled to depart the space station on April 19 and splash down in the ocean a day later. And on April 23, SpaceX will launch the Crew-4 mission, which will send four professional astronauts to the ISS for a lengthy stay.

Crew-4, which will lift off from KSC, is the fourth contracted crewed mission that SpaceX will fly for NASA. Its crewmembers are NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Robert Hines and Jessica Watkins and the European Space Agency's Samantha Cristoforetti.

Mike Wall is the author of "Out There" (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate), a book about the search for alien life. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or on Facebook.

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Watch SpaceX launch a US spy satellite and land a rocket today - Space.com

Blue Origin founder Mr. Jeff Bezos during a happy moment. (Image Credit: Lindsey Wasson | Reuters)

As part of an announcement made yesterday, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania based aerospace and robotics firm Astrobotic Technology revealed its Peregrine lunar lander. Astrobotic is aiming to become one of the first companies to land a lunar lander on the Moon's surface, and the Peregrine lander will use the United Launch Alliance's (ULA) Vulcan rocket for its journey. Its launch is set to take place during the fourth quarter of this year, and Astrobotic's chief executive officer (CEO) Mr. John Thornton confirmed during yesterday's event, hosted by the Keystone Space Collaborative, that the Vulcan is on schedule to meet his company's launch target.

The ULA Vulcan is a new rocket that is part of American efforts to wean the crucial national security space launch segment away from Russian-made engines. Prior to Space Exploration Technologies Corporation's (SpaceX) Falcon 9 and Heavy rockets, ULA was the primary go-to company for governmental agencies to launch their satellites. Its rockets use Russian engines and after legal changes, the company is required to use U.S.-built engines for all its future rockets.

NASA Virtually Teleports Doctor Hundred of Miles In Space To Show Off Holoportation

Its Vulcan Centaur rocket will use two of Blue Origin's BE-4 liquid natural gas-fuelled oxygen-rich rocket engines with each capable of generating 540,000 pounds-feet of thrust. These engines have been quite controversial in the world of rocketry, with their persistent delays after originally being envisaged to complete their development in 2017. Since then, the company has made several management changes, and currently, sentiment indicates that the BE-4 might finally be on track for its delivery.

Comments made by Mr. Thornton at the start of yesterday's event are the latest indication of steady progress on the BE-4. As his lunar lander announcement kicked off, the executive explained that the Peregrine will become the first commercial lander to go to the surface of the moon. The launch will take place in the fourth quarter of this year and is on schedule as of now.

The Peregrine lunar lander in all its glory was visible yesterday. Image: Astrobotic

The executive shared more details about the BE-4 engines in statements made to The Verge. He shared that the BE-4 engines are on track to be delivered to ULA in the middle of this year. This belief is based on assurances that Mr. Thornton has received from the launch provider, and he has no reason to doubt them.

If Blue Origin does deliver, then the ULA will become the first American rocket to take a payload to the Moon in decades. Blue Origin is planning its own lunar missions, in the form of a lander that was recently approved by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for initial design. The company came to the forefront of the industry late last year when it strongly protested NASA's decision to award SpaceX with a multi-billion dollar contract to launch the first astronauts on the Moon. This contract will see SpaceX use its Starship rocket to conduct missions for NASA's Artemis program, which is a multi-year, multi-mission initiative that aims to develop a presence on the Moon.

SpaceX's lunar Starship is aiming for its first test flight in 2024, and it appears that its development progress has satisfied NASA. The space agency announced earlier this year that it plans to extend SpaceX's lunar Starship contract to add more missions, which will be part of its efforts to develop a sustainable lunar presence. SpaceX is currently developing the Starship rocket (different from the lunar Starship) in its facilities in Boca Chica, Texas, and it plans to conduct an orbital test flight after securing the required approvals from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

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SpaceX Wont Be First Company To Land On The Moon If Jeff Bezos Delivers - Wccftech