SpaceX Rolls out and Raises Falcon 9 for Test Fire of Crew Dragon In-Flight Abort Test, KSC Launch Reset to Jan 18: Photos

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket for the Crew Dragon In-Flight Abort (IFA) test is raised at pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Florida on Jan. 9, 2020 ahead of a planned static test engine firing – minus the Crew Dragon capsule. IFA launch is NET Jan. 18, 2020. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

9 Jan 2020

Ken Kremer -- For  SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM 

MERRITT ISLAND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, CAPE CANAVERAL, FL –  Overnight Wednesday SpaceX technicians rolled out and raised a modified Falcon 9 rocket this morning, Thursday, Jan 9 slated for the Crew Dragon In-Flight Abort Test (IFA) at Launch Complex-39A to prepare for a critical static fire engine test in the coming days ahead of a truly monumental upcoming launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida – now postposed to Jan. 18. 

Read the entire story at Space UpClose:
https://www.spaceupclose.com/2020/01/spacex-rolls-out-and-raises-falcon-9-for-test-fire-of-crew-dragon-in-flight-abort-test-ksc-launch-reset-to-jan-18/

1st Launch of 2020 Streaks to Orbit with 3rd Set of SpaceX Starlink Satellites, Booster Lands: Photos

SpaceX Falcon 9 streaks to orbit from Space Launch Complex-40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL on 3^rd Starlink mission after launch Jan. 6, 2020 at 9:19 p.m. EST.  The 1^st stage booster is only the second one to launch 4 times. ULA Delta IV rocket stands inside launch tower at right at Complex 37. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com 

6 January  2020

Ken Kremer - - For SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM

CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, FL – The first launch of 2020 streaked to orbit Monday evening Jan 6 kicking off what is expected to be a busy year at the Florida Space Coast with a breathtaking nighttime launch by SpaceX of the 3^rd batch of their Starlink broadband internet satellites on a used Falcon 9 thereby enlarging the constellation to some 180 – under outstanding weather conditions. 


Read the entire story at Space UpClose:
https://www.spaceupclose.com/2020/01/1st-launch-of-2020-streaks-to-orbit-with-3rd-set-of-spacex-starlink-satellites-booster-lands/

Nightime SpaceX Starlink Launch Set to Open 2020 Launch Season Jan. 6: Watch Live

UpClose look at payload fairing housing 60 Starlink satellites for launch on SpaceX Falcon 9 on Jan. 6, 2019 at Space Launch Complex-40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

6 January  2020

Ken Kremer - - For SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM

CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, FL – A breathtaking nighttime launch by SpaceX enlarging their Starlink constellation of broadband internet satellites is set to open the 2020 launch season at the Florida Space Coast under expected skies this evening Monday, Jan. 6  – and the weather outlook is outstanding!


Read the entire story at Space UpClose:
https://www.spaceupclose.com/2020/01/nightime-spacex-starlink-launch-set-to-open-2020-launch-season-jan-6-watch-live/

SpaceX Completes Static Fire Test on Recycled Falcon 9 - Targets 3rd Starlink Liftoff Jan. 6 on 1st 2020 launch: Photos

SpaceX conducts successful static fire test of Falcon 9 first stage engines at 12:00 p.m. EST on Jan. 4 with exhaust spewing out from the flame trench at Space Launch Complex-40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL, for 3^rd Starlink mission targeted for launch Jan. 6, 2020 at 9:19 p.m. EST – as seen from the Indian River, Titusville.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com 

4 January  2020 

Ken Kremer - -For SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM 

TITUSVILLE, FL- Under gloomy Florida Space Coast skies and shortly before drenching showers rolled in SpaceX engineers completed a noontime static fire test of their recycled Falcon 9 rocket today Saturday, Jan. 4 on Cape Canaveral and are now targeting Monday evening Jan. 6 for launch of the third batch of 60 SpaceX built and owned Starlink broadband satellites to LEO – and the weather outlook is outstanding!

Read the entire story at Space UpClose:

https://www.spaceupclose.com/2020/01/spacex-completes-static-fire-test-on-recycled-falcon-9-targets-3rd-starlink-liftoff-jan-6-on-1st-2020-launch-photos/

NASA Prepares Artemis I SLS Core Stage for Shipment on Pegasus Barge

Teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans moved the core stage, complete with all four RS-25 engines, for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket to Building 110 for final shipping preparations on Jan. 1, 2020. It will be shipped via the agency’s Pegasus barge from Michoud to NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.  Credit: NASA/Jude Guidry

2 January  2020

Ken Kremer - - For Spaceupclose.com and RocketSTEM

MICHOUD ASSEMBLY FACILITY, LA/CAPE CANAVERAL, FL –  The NASA, Boeing  and Aerojet Rocketdyne team is now in the final stages of preparing the first completed Space Launch System (SLS) rocket core stage for the Artemis 1 Moon mission for shipment via the Pegasus barge from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana to NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. 

Read the entire story at Space UpClose:

https://www.spaceupclose.com/2020/01/nasa-prepares-artemis-i-sls-core-stage-for-shipment-on-pegasus-barge/

NASA Astronaut Christina Koch Breaks Record for Longest Female Spaceflight

Expedition 61 Flight Engineer and NASA astronaut Christina Koch handles media bags that enable the manufacturing of organ-like tissues using the BioFabrication Facility (BFF), a 3-D biological printer. The BFF could become a part of a larger system capable of manufacturing whole, fully-functioning human organs from existing patient cells in microgravity, in this photo taken on Dec. 22, 2019 as part of her record setting mission for longest female spaceflight.  Credit: NASA

29 December 2019

Ken Kremer - For Spaceupclose.com and RocketSTEM

Cape Canaveral, FL –  NASA astronaut Christina Koch has broken the record for the longest single spaceflight by a female spaceflyer this past week on Saturday Dec. 28 when she broke the record of 289 continuous days in space while living and working aboard the International Space Station (ISS) during the Christmas and New Year’s holiday season. 

Read the entire story at Space UpClose:

https://www.spaceupclose.com/2020/01/nasa-astronaut-christina-koch-breaks-record-for-longest-female-spaceflight/

NASA Mars 2020 Rover Completes First Test Drive

In a clean room at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, engineers observed the first driving test for NASA's Mars 2020 rover on Dec. 17, 2019. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech

30 December 2019

Ken Kremer – SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM 

CAPE CANAVERAL, FL – Just in time for the Christmas Holiday season NASA’s next Mars rover launching in July 2020 completed its first test drive as engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory finalize the agency’s SUV-sized Red Planet explorer for it daring mission ahead.

Read the entire story at Space UpClose:
https://www.spaceupclose.com/2019/12/nasa-mars-2020-rover-completes-first-test-drive/