Latest news with #spaceflight
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Blue Origin rocket launch: How to watch livestream of next human spaceflight
A spaceflight that was delayed a week ago could commence this weekend as Blue Origin plans to once again attempt to launch a rocket that will take a group of six people to the very edge of space. The mission, known as NS-33, will be the 13th human spaceflight Blue Origin has conducted since 2021, when billionaire Jeff Bezos, the company's founder, boarded a New Shepard spacecraft for its maiden flight. The next six people selected to board the launch vehicle are set to join an exclusive club of more than 60 others who have flown on the brief 11-minute missions in the last four years. Awaiting them about 60 miles above Earth? A few precious moments of weightlessness in the crew capsule, and stunning views of space and the ground below. It's an experience the rest of us can only imagine, but at least those interested can watch the launch from West Texas from the comfort of their own home. Here's what to know about the next Blue Origin launch, as well as how to watch a livestream of the mission. Blue Origin's next crewed launch, known as NS-33, was due to get off the ground Saturday, June 21. The company first opted to delay the mission to Sunday, June 22 due to "persistent high winds" before announcing at 5:48 a.m. CT that mission operators were once again postponing the launch "due to weather." The mission is now being targeted for 8:30 a.m. ET (7:30 a.m. CT) Sunday, June 29, Blue Origin announced. Backup opportunities are available if the launch is scrubbed again on Monday, June 30, according to a Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory. Blue Origin New Shepard rocket launches take place from the company's private ranch facility known as Launch Site One. The facility is located more than 140 miles east of El Paso near the U.S.-Mexico border. Blue Origin will provide a webcast of the launch beginning about 30 minutes ahead of the scheduled liftoff on its website. Billionaire Jeff Bezos, best known for founding Amazon, is the founder of the private space technology company Blue Origin. Bezos himself even boarded Blue Origin's New Shepard for its maiden crewed voyage in July 2021, which came after the spacecraft flew on 15 flight tests beginning in 2012. For nearly four years since its first crewed mission, the New Shepard spacecraft has served as a powerful symbol of Blue Origin's commercial spaceflight ambitions amid a growing space tourism industry. In addition to sending space tourists on brief joy rides to the edge of space, Blue Origin has also increasingly sought to compete with Elon Musk's SpaceX. Blue Origin's massive New Glenn rocket, which flew on its inaugural flight test in January 2025 from Cape Canaveral, Florida, is also being developed for future spaceflights. At 320 feet tall, the spacecraft rivals SpaceX's 400-foot Starship in size. Here's a look at the passengers on the next Blue Origin New Shepard spaceflight, known as NS-33: Allie Kuehner, an environmentalist who serves on the board of Nature is Nonpartisan, a nonprofit organization advocating for bipartisan solutions to environmental issues Carl Kuehner, who chairs Building and Land Technology, a real estate development, investment and property management firm Leland Larson, a philanthropist and former CEO of School Bus Services and Larson Transportation Services – both family-owned public transportation businesses based in Oregon Freddie Rescigno, Jr., CEO of Commodity Cables, an electrical company he founded in 2001 Owolabi Salis, an attorney and a financial consultant Jim Sitkin, a retired lawyer from California Each spaceflight on a New Shepard vehicle lasts about 11 minutes from liftoff to capsule touchdown. Named after astronaut Alan Shepard, the first American in space, the 60-foot-tall New Shepard rocket is topped with the gum drop-shaped crew capsule. The spacecraft operates completely autonomously, meaning no pilots are aboard. During its ascent, the spacecraft reaches supersonic speeds surpassing 2,000 mph before the rocket booster separates from the crew capsule. At that point, those aboard the capsule become weightless as the spacecraft continues toward its highest point on its brief voyage above the Kármán Line – the 62-mile-high internationally recognized boundary of space. While experiencing a few minutes of microgravity, passengers have the opportunity to unstrap themselves from their seats to gaze out the capsule's large windows and take in a stunning view of Earth. Meanwhile, the rocket booster heads back to the ground while firing its engines and using its fins to slow and control its descent to land vertical about two miles from the launchpad. The capsule itself eventually begins what Blue Origin refers to as a "stable freefall' – plummeting back to Earth as three massive parachutes deploy and the capsule makes a soft landing in the desert, sending up plumes of dust. Contributing: Jennifer Sangalang, USA TODAY Network Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Blue Origin launch rescheduled: Date, time, how to watch crewed mission
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Katy Perry's Rare New Photo of Daughter Daisy Hints at How She's Handling Split From Orlando Bloom
It seems like Katy Perry is focused on her daughter Daisy Dove amid her breakup from long-time partner Orlando Bloom. While the Lord of the Rings star is galavanting around Venice for Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's wedding, Perry is spending time in Australia with her daughter, who turns 5 in August. She just shared a rare photo of her little girl, who she shares with Bloom, and it hints at her mindset right now. 'mood: Quokka,' the 'Dark Horse' singer wrote on Instagram today. She shared pictures with the small marsupial and a picture of a quokka-shaped chocolate. Other slides showed Perry dancing and feeding birds on a beach, riding a bike, and playing card games. Go to slide 6 to see Daisy, who is dressed in a tan sweater and matching pants as she pretends to drive a boat. Her blonde hair is up in a messy bun as she looks at the buttons and navigation system, holding the steering wheel with both hands. Based on these photos and videos, it seems like Perry is handling the split pretty well! More from SheKnows Chrissy Teigen Reveals She's Ready to Have the 'Sex Talk' With 9-Year-Old Daughter Luna Lauren Sanchez even commented on the post, writing, 'We miss you Katy ❤️' Although Perry and Bloom haven't confirmed or denied the breakup rumors, sources told Daily Mail that problems started when Bloom called Perry's April Blue Origin space flight 'cringeworthy' and 'embarrassing.' 'Imagine going to space… and your partner isn't impressed,' the source added. 'Of course she was hurt.' A told PEOPLE that the 'California Girls' singer 'never saw herself being a single mom.' They continued, 'She's felt a lot of pressure about her tour and now this. It's been a lot for her. She's still doing great though.' Despite how happy both Perry and Bloom seem in recent pictures, there is a stark difference between this summer and last summer, when the family of three took a trip to Sardinia, Italy, together. In photos from that trip, Perry and Bloom are seen walking on treadmills together, swimming in the ocean with their daughter, and enjoying rock painting together. At least they are focused on Daisy, despite all the drama and rumors. A source told PEOPLE, 'Katy has every intention of maintaining a positive and respectful relationship with Orlando. He's the father of their daughter and that will always come first for her.' 'They've been through a lot together and while they've decided to go their separate ways, there's still a mutual respect between them,' the insider added. 'They're still very much in touch and co-parenting Daisy together. For the sake of their daughter, they're committed to keeping things amicable.'Best of SheKnows Bird Names Are One of the Biggest Baby Name Trends for Gen Beta (& We Found 20+ Options) These Are the 36 Celebrities with the Most Kids 15 Celebrity Parents Whose Kids Went to Ivy League Schools
Arab News
2 days ago
- Science
- Arab News
International Space Station welcomes its first astronauts from India, Poland and Hungary
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida: The first astronauts in more than 40 years from India, Poland and Hungary arrived at the International Space Station on Thursday, ferried there by SpaceX on a private flight. The crew of four will spend two weeks at the orbiting lab, performing dozens of experiments. They launched Wednesday from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. America's most experienced astronaut, Peggy Whitson, is the commander of the visiting crew. She works for Axiom Space, the Houston company that arranged the chartered flight. Besides Whitson, the crew includes India's Shubhanshu Shukla, a pilot in the Indian Air Force; Hungary's Tibor Kapu, a mechanical engineer; and Poland's Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, a radiation expert and one of the European Space Agency's project astronauts on temporary flight duty. No one has ever visited the International Space Station from those countries before. The time anyone rocketed into orbit from those countries was in the late 1970s and 1980s, traveling with the Soviets. Speaking in both English and their native languages, the new arrivals shared hugs and handshakes with the space station's seven full-time residents, celebrating with drink pouches sipped through straws. Six nations were represented: four from the US, three from Russia and one each from Japan, India, Poland and Hungary. 'We have so many countries at the same time on the space station,' Kapu said, adding that seven of the 11 astronauts are first-time space fliers 'which also tells me how much space is expanding.' Added Uznanski-Wisniewski: 'We will all try to do the best representing our countries.' Shukla rated the experience so far as 'fantastic ... wonderful.' The space station's commander, Japan's Takuya Onishi, said he was happy to finally see their smiling faces after 'waiting for you guys so long.' Whitson also made note of the lengthy delay and preflight quarantine. To stay healthy, the four newcomers went into quarantine on May 25, stuck in it as their launch kept getting delayed. The latest postponement was for space station leak monitoring, NASA wanted to make sure everything was safe following repairs to a longtime leak on the Russian side of the outpost. It's the fourth Axiom-sponsored flight to the space station since 2022. The company is one of several that are developing their own space stations due to launch in the coming years. NASA plans to abandon the International Space Station in 2030 after more than three decades of operation, and is encouraging private ventures to replace it.
CBS News
2 days ago
- Science
- CBS News
Ax-4 crew docks with International Space Station after 28-hour rendezvous
An international crew of four in SpaceX's newest Crew Dragon capsule caught up with the International Space Station Thursday and moved in for a problem-free docking to wrap up an automated 28-hour rendezvous that began with blastoff Wednesday. The capture mechanism in the nose of the Crew Dragon Grace, the fifth and final such spacecraft in SpaceX's fleet, engaged its counterpart in the space-facing port of the forward Harmony module at 6:31 a.m. EDT as the two spacecraft sailed 260 miles above the mid Atlantic Ocean. The Crew Dragon Grace closes in for docking at the International Space Station after a 28-hour rendezvous. NASA webcast With the initial "soft capture" confirmed, the capsule was pulled in and firmly locked in place, power and data umbilicals automatically connected and flight controllers began a series of leak checks to verify an airtight structural seal. Hatches were finally opened at 8:14 a.m., and Crew Dragon commander Peggy Whitson and her crewmates — Shubhanshu Shukla of India; Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, a European Space Agency astronaut from Poland; and Hungarian engineer Tibor Kapu — floated into the station to hugs and handshakes from the lab's seven long-duration crew members. Ax-4 crew member and European Space Agency astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, known by the nickname "Suave" (center), greets space station astronaut Anne McClain (white shirt, back to camera) after floating into the space station. NASA webcast Whitson, a retired NASA astronaut, is the most experienced American space flier, logging 675 days in orbit during four previous missions. On her fifth flight, she is leading the fourth privately-financed commercial space station visit chartered by Houston-based Axiom Space. The company charges up to $70 million or so per seat to carry non-NASA astronauts, professional researchers and others to the space station. Whitson also commanded the company's second space station flight. Throughout their two-week Ax-4 mission, Whitson and her crewmates plan to carry out a full slate of science research and technology demonstrations, along with interactive educational events in the crew's home countries. They were trained for space station operations and will have full use of the U.S. segment of the orbital lab. "Peggy, welcome back," station commander Takuya Onishi said when the combined 11-member crew gathered for an official welcoming ceremony. "It's a great honor and privilege to have such a legendary astronaut like you on board with us. "And Tibor, Shux and Suave, congratulations on your first space flight. We've been waiting for you guys so long, and we are so happy to see your smiling faces. With your arrival, there are 11 astronauts from six countries and all of us are here in order to advance human space exploration and scientific research." The combined 11-member crew gathered for a welcome aboard ceremony where Whitson, at left with a microphone, pinned astronaut wings on the flight suits of her rookie crewmates (dark shirts, left to right: Hungarian engineer Tibor Kapu, Shubhanshu Shukla of India and Polish astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski. NASA webcast Whitson thanked Onishi, saying "you guys are exceptional hosts and hopefully, you'll think we're exceptional guests at the end of a couple of weeks! We're looking forward to getting a lot of work done with you guys." All told, researchers from 31 countries will be helping evaluate data from the Ax-4 experiments and technology demonstrations. Whitson said before launch the mission "opens up access to countries that might not normally get access to space. So this is very exciting." Before they reached the space station, the Ax-4 crew beamed down televised comments describing the flight and their expectations. "Welcome, earthlings, from Grace," Whitson radioed. She revealed the name of the new Crew Dragon moments after reaching orbit Wednesday. "We are in the newest Dragon capsule, and we are very happy with her," Whitson said. "She's got a little bit of a new-spacecraft smell, and we're loving her a bunch. It's so much fun to be up in space again, always fun to be in space, but it's really fun to be in space with three new astronauts." During an overnight video call from orbit, Indian test pilot Shubhanshu Shukla shows off the Ax-4 crew's zero-gravity indicator, a small toy named Joy, as the astronauts described their impressions of spaceflight. Axiom Space Uznański-Wiśniewski said "it's an amazing feeling to be in orbit for the first time. When I unbuckled for the first time, I didn't feel 100 percent, but then everything settled and when I looked out the window, the view was just stunning." Shukla, a test pilot in the Indian air force, said of the launch atop a Falcon 9 rocket, "wow, what a night it was." "When the flight started, it was something, you get pushed back in the seat, it was an amazing flight. And then suddenly, nothing, everything silenced, and you were just floating ... it was an amazing feeling." Tibor added the crew's thanks "to everyone around the world and every person on the team that made this beautiful day happen."
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Astronaut becomes first Indian to set foot on ISS
Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla has created history by becoming the first Indian ever to set foot on the International Space Station (ISS). A live broadcast showed the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission docking with the orbiting laboratory and its four-member crew crossing over to the ISS. Led by former Nasa veteran Peggy Whitson and piloted by Group Captain Shukla, Ax-4 lifted off on Wednesday. The crew, including Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary, will spend two weeks on the ISS. Group Captain Shukla is only the second Indian to travel to space. His trip comes 41 years after cosmonaut Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian to fly aboard a Russian Soyuz in 1984. Ax-4 - a commercial flight operated by Houston-based private firm Axiom Space - lifted off from Nasa's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 02:31 EDT (06:31 GMT; 12:01 India time) on Wednesday. The docking on Thursday occurred at 06:31EDT (10:31 GMT; 16:01 India time). A pressurised vestibule was created between the spacecraft and the space station and then hatches were opened on both sides to allow the Ax-4 crew to make their way on board the ISS. With their arrival, the total crew strength of ISS is now 11. The Indian pilot set for a historic space journey on Axiom-4 Sweets to toy swan - what Indian astronaut will take on historic space voyage The mission is a collaboration between Nasa, India's space agency Isro, European Space Agency (Esa) and SpaceX. The two European astronauts will also be taking their countries back to space after more than four decades. During their two-week mission, the crew would spend most of their time conducting 60 scientific experiments, including seven designed by Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro). Isro, which has paid 5bn rupees ($59m; £43m) to secure a seat for Group Captain Shukla on Ax-4 and his training, says the hands-on experience he will gain during his trip to the ISS will help India in its human space flights. Isro has said it wants to launch the country's first-ever human space flight in 2027 and has announced ambitious plans to set up a space station by 2035 and send an astronaut to the Moon by 2040. Earlier on Thursday, Axiom Space had a live uplink with the astronauts on board where Group Captain Shukla spoke about his first 24 hours in space. "What a ride!," he said, adding that it has been "an amazing feeling to be just floating in space" and that "it's been fun time". "I was not feeling great when we got shot into vacuum, but I'm told I've been sleeping a lot, which is a great sign," he said laughing. "I'm enjoying the view, the experience and learning anew, like a baby, how to walk, to control yourself and to eat and read," he added. As Group Captain Shukla and other crew members spoke, Joy - a small, white toy swan described as Ax-4's "fifth crew member" - floated in and out of vision. Axiom has said Joy is "more than a cute companion for the Ax-4 crew" and is travelling to space as their "zero-G [zero-gravity] indicator". During Thursday's broadcast, Group Captain Shukla said the baby swan "symbolises wisdom and ability to discern what is important and what is not" which made it "so important in this age of distractions". Soon after Wednesday's launch, Commander Peggy Whitson revealed the name of their vehicle: Grace. "Grace is more than a name," she said. "It reflects the elegance with which we move through space against the backdrop of Earth. It speaks to the refinement of our mission, the harmony of science and spirit, and the unmerited favour we carry with humility." The name, she added, was a reminder "that spaceflight is not just a feat of engineering, but an act of goodwill - for the benefit of every human, everywhere".
