NASA Moves Away from an ISS Cargo Contractor

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): The Dream Chaser and Shooting Star Cargo Module. (Sierra Space)

Back in 2016 NASA was looking for more commercial cargo haulers for its International Space Station (ISS), and Sierra Space’s reusable Dream Chaser spaceplane was one of those options. NASA contracted for multiple resupply missions to the ISS. However, all of that is now over.

NASA has announced that the contract has been modified so that Sierra Space is only to provide a “free flight demonstration” in 2026. What that means is that NASA will give the company a chance to prove its technology, but it will stop financing these efforts. And NASA will not commit to any future resupply missions, but may choose to do so at a later point.

It sounds like quite a gut-punch to another commercial option for the ISS at the same time that Boeing’s Starliner is still limping along. That leaves SpaceX and Northrop Grumman as the only players on the field as the station heads towards it decommissioning in 2030.

Sierra Space can certainly pursue other commercial space opportunities, which is expected to include commercial space stations at some point in the future. Even so, it appears NASA has lost confidence in the company’s ability to deliver on earlier promises related to the ISS.

In a recent press release, the company has put the most positive spin it can on this new arrangement:

Sierra Space is prioritizing first-flight readiness with Dream Chaser, targeting a launch in late 2026 to align with expected launch vehicle availability. Sierra Space and NASA worked together to reach this mutually beneficial agreement that provides greater mission flexibility for Dream Chaser’s first flight. This flight aims to demonstrate critical capabilities for NASA’s ISS resupply and future Commercial LEO Destinations (CLD) missions and position Dream Chaser as a national asset available for future national security and defense demonstrations.

Sierra Space has many other ongoing projects under a variety of government and private sector contracts, including NASA. For instance, it signed a contract with NASA earlier this year to study the use of the company’s expandable space station technology on the Moon.

So the company will be staying busy even after this latest setback. That said, getting the Dream Chaser into orbit on schedule has to remain a key priority for a company that want’s to be a big player in the space race ahead.

NASA Delivery to the ISS Delayed

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Northrop Grumman’s insignia for the flight of its first Cygnus XL. (Northrop Grumman)

The Russian’s cargo spaceship arrived without incident at the International Space Station (ISS) over the weekend, but the NASA cargo spaceship has not been as smooth. The Northrop Grumman Cygnus XL cargo ship has experienced engine issues, which will delay its arrival. It was originally supposed to unload its cargo tomorrow morning (September 17).

This latest mission, labeled NG-23, is the first to use the Cygnus XL spacecraft, which has 33 percent more cargo capacity than the spacecraft it replaces.

Northrop Grumman’s vice president of civil space systems, Ryan Tintner, stated:

Our Cygnus XL is another step towards a thriving commercial space economy. The spacecraft carries more cargo, making each mission more efficient. We’ve supported NASA and the space station for decades, and we know what it takes to develop advanced capabilities for exploring space.

This is not a good start for the new spacecraft. Hopefully, the glitch will be quickly resolved. The spacecraft carries 11,000 pounds of needed supplies.

Update: The Cygnus XL mission is back on track. The spaceship is expected to arrive at the ISS on Thursday morning.

Second Update: The Cygnus XL mission was a success with supplies delivered successully to the ISS.

Russian Progress 93 Mission Underway to Resupply the ISS

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Russia’sProgress 93 cargo spacecraft launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. (NASA+)

Even with the recent Russian drones invading Polish airspace, things are on schedule at the International Space Station (ISS). A Russian Soyuz rocket successfully launched the Progress 93 cargo spaceship into orbit yesterday to resupply the ISS on Saturday.

A similar NASA resupply mission will take place on Sunday to resupply the Expedition 73 crew. Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft will be launched from Florida aboard a SpaceX rocket.

Things may still be a bit crazy here on Earth, but the ISS mission continues.

Update: The Grumman Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft safely launched on Sunday, September 14. The spacecraft is scheduled to dock with the ISS on Wednesday, September 17.

Did China Just Install HAL in its Space Station?

Posted on by onespaceman2000
image (Credit): The eye of HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey. (Stanley Kubrick Productions)

Is it possible the space station engineers in China failed to watch Stanley Kubrick’ film 2001: A Space Odyssey?

I ask this because earlier this summer the Chinese government installed an artificial intelligence chatbot named Wukong on the Tiangong space station. It is designed to assist the taikonauts with navigation and tactical information planning.

A Wired magazine story noted:

Wukong AI assisted the crew on a six-and-a-half-hour mission, which involved taikonauts installing space debris protection devices during a spacewalk and performing a routine inspection of the station.

Doesn’t that sound a little like the situation in the movie involving the supercomputer HAL 9000, when HAL had a different idea about its role in the mission? I’m not sure I would be comfortable leaving the space station.

The same story also highlights how the International Space Station has its own computer helpers, including small flying Astrobees that can assist the astronauts with routine tasks.

Forbes magazine reported that NASA is already conducting “war games” with these Astrobee robots to see if they can be used for offensive purposes to protect the astronauts. What could go wrong?

These are interesting times with AI and robots on Earth and in space. I just hope the engineers have time to watch a few science fiction movies as well to prepare for that future.

Space Stories: Dragon Docks with ISS, a Braille Astronomy Book, and an Exoplanet with No Atmosphere

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): The Dragon cargo capsule approaching the ISS. (NASA)

Here are some recent space-related stories of interest.

—NASA: “SpaceX Dragon Docks to Station Delivering New Science, Supplies“

At 7:05 a.m. EDT, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked to the forward port of the International Space Station’s Harmony module.  The spacecraft carried over 5,000 pounds of scientific investigations and cargo to the orbiting laboratory on SpaceX’s 33rd commercial resupply services mission for NASA. The mission launched at 2:45 a.m. on Aug. 24 atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. 

—Cincinnati Enquirer: “New Braille Book from Cincinnati Astronomer Lets You See Constellations Without Your Eyes“

Longtime readers will recognize the name Dean Regas, astronomy contributor to The Enquirer and former cohost of the PBS series “Star Gazers,” but they may not know that Regas is also the author of seven books about astronomy. His latest foray into the world of writing, “All About Orion,” is a children’s book focused on its namesake, Orion, with a twist: the book features braille writing and textile constellations as well as large print for blind and visually impaired children.

—Universe Today: “Another Earth-like Exoplanet Crossed Off the List: JWST Shows that GJ 3929b Has No Atmosphere“

The JWST’s latest exoplanet atmosphere target is GJ 3929 b. Astronomers discovered it in TESS data in 2022. “Our analysis confirms the planetary nature of the transiting planet GJ 3929 b,” the authors of the 2022 paper wrote. “Its mass and radius (~ 0.43 Earth masses and ~1.15 Earth radii) put it into the regime of small Earth-sized planets.” Earth-like planets attract attention for obvious reasons. Now the JWST’s results are in, and the once-promising planet appears to be barren.