Blogs

California road trips cry out for a game I like to call “Guess What’s Growing by the Side of the Road.” The rules are simple – glance at the green leaves sprouting from the ground and guess whether they’re carrots or kale – and you can discover fascinating facts (artichokes are thistles!). This week, I’ve […]

For the time being, NASA’s Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite is waiting to rocket into orbit. Media packed up their cameras after the first scheduled launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California was scrubbed on January 29, 2015 (above) due to upper level winds. The second targeted launch window on January 30 was […]

We have a host of photos from Astrotech where the DSCOVR spacecraft is being prepared for launch Feb. 8. The photos include recent testing of the solar arrays, including unfurling them as they will after the DSCOVR gets into space.

The launch of NASA’s Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) observatory, which will produce the highest-resolution maps of soil moisture ever obtained from space, has been delayed to a targeted launch date of Jan. 31, pending completion of minor repairs to the United Launch Alliance Delta II launch vehicle. During inspections following the Jan. 29 launch …

Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (JSSOD) Install:  Wilmore started the JSSOD activities by reviewing an instructional video on how to install a JSSOD to the Multi-Purpose Experiment Platform (MPEP).  He then extended the JEM Airlock (JEMAL) slide table into the JEM, attached the JSSOD, and proceeded to retract the slide table and …

Launch of NASA’s Soil Moisture Active Passive mission aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket now is scheduled for tomorrow, Jan. 30, at 9:20 a.m. EST. The forecast for Jan. 30 shows a 90 percent chance of favorable weather conditions for the launch tomorrow. Coverage will begin at 7 a.m.

A pair of docked space freighters is being loaded in preparation for next month’s departure activities. The ISS Progress 57 (57P) resupply ship is being packed with trash and discarded gear for a fiery disposal over the Pacific Ocean. The SpaceX Dragon commercial cargo craft is being loaded with experiment samples, spacesuit gear and other …

The launch team is setting up for a 24-hour turnaround for a launch attempt tomorrow morning. Launch time on Friday remains 9:20 a.m. EST.

Adding two minutes gives the launch team some flexibility as they work through the upper level wind issue. During this final built-in hold, managers overseeing the launch will conduct final readiness polls and SMAP will be transferred to internal power. Launch commit criteria weather remains 90 percent “go,” however upper level winds are “no-go.”