The issue is still under investigation … There have been murmurs about the Atlas V fairing issue for some time, but United Launch Alliance and Space Force officials have remained tight-lipped. However, more than a year later, the company has acknowledged that it is still investigating the issue. A ULA spokesperson said the company is continuing to review data regarding fairing debris and will share information once the investigation is complete. “We are working very closely with our customers and suppliers on observations in advance of future launches to improve our capabilities,” the spokesperson said. “We have integrated several corrective actions and additional testing of the hardware.” Payload fairing debris can pose a hazard to sensitive parts of the spacecraft that are supposed to be protected by the shroud.
China launches next space station crew. A Long March 2D rocket carrying the Shenzhou 19 crew spacecraft lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Tuesday with a crew of three Chinese astronauts on board. Space.com report. On board were Commander Cai Xuezhe (48 years old), a member of the Shenzhou 14 mission, new astronaut Song Lingdong (34 years old), a former Air Force pilot, and Wang Haoze, also a spaceflight engineer ( 34 years old). Approximately six hours after liftoff, the Shenzhou 19 spacecraft docked at the Tiangong Space Station.
keep the station on track … This trio of astronauts will stay in the Tiangong orbit for six months, conducting various experiments and embarking on several extravehicular activities, or extravehicular activities. Shenzhou 19 is the 33rd spaceflight mission of China’s human spaceflight program. These missions include unmanned test flights, manned missions, Tiangong module launch and small space lab precursor missions, next generation manned spacecraft test flights, and Tiangong cargo and refueling missions. China intends to keep Tiangong, which makes up about 20% of the International Space Station’s mass, in flight for at least 10 years. (Submitted by Ken the Bin)
Firefly CEO is ‘enthusiastic’ about scaling company. Firefly’s former CEO lasted less than two years at the company before abruptly resigning in July following allegations of inappropriate employee relations. The company is now headed by Jason Kim, who resigned as CEO of satellite manufacturing subsidiary Millennium for Firefly. “I’m excited to be here,” Kim said. In an interview with CNBC. “I will work hard to support this team and ensure we achieve all of our visionary ideas.”
