Spacers

SpaceX Launch Attempt Today

Private launch company SpaceX is attempting to launch its Falcon 9 rocket today. With a primary goal of getting its Dragon capsule payload into orbit, SpaceX is also aiming for certification of the flight termination system (FTS). The FTS ensures that Air Force Range safety officials can command the destruction of the vehicle should it stray from its designated flight path.


After a successful test firing of its first stage rocket in March earlier this year, SpaceX had targeted a May launch date, and has made great progress through technical issues to make the June 4th attempt. The window opened at 11:00am EDT and will last until 3:00pm EDT today. Weather looks good with a 60% chance of favorable conditions. A telemetry issue has prevented an on-time lift off, but a stronger antennae is currently being deployed with hopes of a 1:00pm EDT lift off.

Watch the launch at: http://www.livestream.com/newchannel/popoutplayer?channel=spaceflightnow

[update: 2:35pm EDT] Final launch attempt at 2:45pm EDT

[update: 2:45pm EDT] Falcon 9 launches!

SpaceHead

SOFIA Takes To The Skies

NASA's latest Earthbound telescope is not on the ground, it is in the sky. The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, better known as SOFIA, is a unique telescope that is housed in a 747 - yes, a Jumbo telescope inside a Jumbo jet!


Concentrating on observing in the mid to far infrared spectrum, SOFIA wouldn't be able to operate on the ground, and rather than outlay the expense of operating a space-based telescope NASA decided to try out a flight platform. So far the results are a success, with around 80% of the infrared light that a space telescope would receive reaching the 8 foot mirror. At a fraction of the cost of space operation, a single flight of SOFIA observation will provide a much needed service in an observation spectrum that is already oversubscribed.

Find out more information and images from SOFIA at: http://www.sofia.usra.edu/

SpaceHead

STS-132: Mission Highlights

Catch the best of the STS-132 mission and the final flight of Space Shuttle Atlantis:



SpaceHead

STS-132: Catchup Highlights

Atlantis is home safe, so catch up on some highlights

Flight Day 10 Highlights


Flight Day 11 Highlights



Flight Day 12 Highlights


SpaceHead

STS-132: Raiders Of The Lost Highlights

Spacers apologizes for the current loss of service, but there's still highlights to watch!

Flight Day 7 Highlights


Flight Day 8 Highlights


Flight Day 9 Highlights


SpaceHead

STS-132: Highlights Galore

Spacers is still experiencing internet problems - and in the middle of a Shuttle mission too!

Grab some highlights while we iron out the problems.

Flight Day 4 Highlights


Flight Day 5 Highlights


Flight Day 6 Highlights


SpaceHead

STS-132: The Highlights Begin

An internet outage has kept Spacers offline since the launch, but we're back in business now. Let's get some highlights on the table first.

Flight Day 1 Highlights


Flight Day 2 Highlights


Flight Day 3 Highlights


SpaceHead