A news conference is held Sept. 3, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, after launch of Artemis I was waived off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39B. Teams encountered a liquid hydrogen leak while loading propellant into the core stage of the Space Launch System rocket. Participants are, from left, Bill Nelson, NASA administrator; Jim Free, associate administrator for NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate; and Mike Sarafin, Artemis mission manager. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown.
Mike Roberts, chief scientist, ISS National Lab, participates in a climate conversation at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 13, 2022, leading up to SpaceX’s 25th Commercial Resupply Services mission for NASA to the International Space Station. The Dragon capsule atop SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A on July 14 at 8:44 p.m. EDT. Dragon will deliver more than 5,800 pounds of cargo, including a variety of NASA investigations, to the space station.
NASA astronaut Nicole Mann listens during a briefing at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida following launch of Boeing’s Orbital Flight Test, Dec. 20, 2019. Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft launched atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 6:36 a.m. EST. The uncrewed Orbital Flight Test is the Starliner’s first flight for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
A postlaunch news conference for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission is held at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 23, 2021. From left, participants are: moderator Jackie McGuinness, NASA press secretary; Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center; Kathy Lueders, associate administrator, Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters; Joel Montalbano, manager, International Space Station Program; Steve Jurczyk, acting administrator, NASA; Elon Musk, CEO and lead designer, SpaceX; Hiroshi Sasaki, vice president and director general, JAXA’s Human Spaceflight Technology Directorate; and Frank de Winne, manager, International Space Station Program, ESA. Liftoff time on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was at 5:49 a.m. EDT. Crew Dragon Endeavour is carrying NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough, spacecraft commander; NASA astronaut Megan McArthur, pilot; ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, mission specialist; and JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, mission specialist, to the international Space Station.
From left, Mark Kirasich, Orion Program manager; and Randy Bresnik, NASA astronaut, participate in a prelaunch news conference for NASA’s Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 1, 2019. For AA-2, a test version of the Orion spacecraft attached to a fully functional Launch Abort System (LAS) will launch atop a Northrop Grumman provided booster on July 2, 2019, from Launch Pad 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. During AA-2, the booster will send the LAS and Orion to an altitude of 31,000 feet, traveling at more than 1,000 mph. The LAS’ three motors will work together to pull the crew module away from the booster and prepare it for splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. The flight test will prove that the abort system can pull crew to safety in the unlikely event of an emergency during ascent.
In the Press Site auditorium of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA officials speak to media about efforts to recover from Hurricane Matthew. From the left are Bob Holl, chief of the Kennedy Damage Assessment and Recovery Team, Center Director Bob Cabana and Mike Curie of NASA Communications. Officials determined that the center received some isolated roof damage, damaged support buildings, a few downed power lines, and limited water intrusion. Beach erosion also occurred, although the storm surge was less than expected. NASA closed the center ahead of the storm’s onset and only a small team of specialists known as the Ride-out Team was on the center as the storm approached and passed.
In the Press Site auditorium of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Stephanie Schierholz of NASA Communications speaks to media at a post-launch news conference following the liftoff of SpaceX CRS-15. The flight is a commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station. SpaceX CRS-15 lifted off atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Friday, June 29, 2018, at 5:42 a.m. EDT with supplies and materials to support multiple critical science and research investigations.
In the Kennedy Space Center's Press Site auditorium, Dale Ketcham chief of Strategic Alliances for Space Florida, speaks to members of the media at a news conference to discuss upcoming flight tests to study the effects of sonic booms. Kennedy is partnering with Armstrong, Langley and Space Florida for a program called SonicBAT for Sonic Booms in Atmospheric Turbulence. Starting in August, NASA F-18 jets will take off from the Shuttle Landing Facility and fly at supersonic speeds while agency researchers on the ground measure the effects of low-altitude turbulence on sonic booms. The study could lead to technology mitigating the annoying sonic booms making possible supersonic flights over populated areas.
In the Kennedy Space Center's Press Site auditorium, Damon Penn, assistant administrator for response at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, speaks to the media during a mission briefing on the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-R). GOES-R is the first satellite in a series of next-generation GOES satellites for NOAA, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. It will launch to a geostationary orbit over the western hemisphere to provide images of storms and help meteorologists predict severe weather conditionals and develop long-range forecasts.
In the Press Site auditorium of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Center Director Bob Cabana speaks to the media about efforts to recover from Hurricane Matthew. Officials determined that the center received some isolated roof damage, damaged support buildings, a few downed power lines, and limited water intrusion. Beach erosion also occurred, although the storm surge was less than expected. NASA closed the center ahead of the storm’s onset and only a small team of specialists known as the Ride-out Team was on the center as the storm approached and passed.
Nicky Fox, director of NASA’s Heliophysics Division, discusses the Space Environment Testbeds payload during a NASA prelaunch technology TV broadcast for the Space Test Program-2 (STP-2) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 23, 2019. The payload’s four experiments will reveal the ways local space weather affects spacecraft hardware. It is one of four NASA payloads scheduled to launch on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A beginning at 11:30 p.m. EDT on June 24, 2019. STP-2 is managed by the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center.
Kathy Lueders, associate administrator, Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters, participates in a preflight briefing for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission on Sept. 29, 2020. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission is the first crew rotational flight of a U.S. commercial spacecraft with astronauts to the International Space Station. The Crew-1 mission will launch from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Crew-1 is part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, which has returned human spaceflight capabilities to the U.S.
NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren (left) and Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana participate in a NASA Social Facebook Live briefing inside the Press Site auditorium on May 26, 2020, at Kennedy ahead of NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 launch, slated for Wednesday, May 27. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft are scheduled to lift off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A, carrying NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley to the International Space Station. This will mark the first launch of astronauts from U.S. soil to the space station since the conclusion of the Space Shuttle Program in 2011. Part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program, this will be SpaceX’s final flight test, paving the way for NASA to certify the crew transportation system for regular, crewed flights to the orbiting laboratory. Liftoff is scheduled for 4:33 p.m. EDT.
Director of Safety and Mission Assurance Ronnie Rodriguez participates in the Safety Starts With You Leadership Panel on Jan. 25, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The panel discussion featured senior leaders from the spaceport addressing ways employees can focus on safely completing mission objectives in the new year. Other panelists included Kennedy Space Center Director Janet Petro, Director of Spaceport Integration and Services Nancy Bray, and Exploration Ground Systems Chief of Staff Sasha Sims.
Jamie Foster, principal investigator, ADSEP-UMAMI (Understanding of Microgravity on Animal-Microbe Interactions experiment), describes the experiment during a What’s On Board Science Briefing on June 2, 2021, at Kennedy Space Center in Florida for SpaceX’s Commercial Resupply Services mission for NASA to the International Space Station. The experiment will examine the effects of spaceflight on the molecular and chemical interactions between beneficial microbes and their animal hosts, in this case bobtail squid. Amimals, including humans, rely on microbes to maintain a healthy digestive and immune system. UMAMI is one of several experiments bound for the space station. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Dragon capsule atop is scheduled to launch at 1:29 p.m. EDT on Thursday, June 3, from the center’s Launch Complex 39A.
In Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site auditorium, agency and industry leaders speak to members of the media during a post launch news conference following the March 2, 2:49 a.m. EST launch of the SpaceX Demo-1 Commercial Crew Program (CCP) mission to the International Space Station. From left are: Steve Stich, NASA launch manager, Commercial Crew Program; Kirk Shireman, manager, International Space Station Program; Jim Bridenstine, NASA administrator; Elon Musk, CEO and lead designer, SpaceX; Bob Behnken, NASA astronaut and Doug Hurley, NASA astronaut. The Crew Dragon’s trip to the space station is designed to validate end-to-end systems and capabilities, leading to certification to fly crew. NASA has worked with SpaceX and Boeing in developing the CCP spacecraft to facilitate new human spaceflight systems launching from U.S. soil with the goal of safe, reliable and cost-effective access to low-Earth orbit destinations, such as the space station.
Greg Harland, NASA Communications, moderates a prelaunch news conference for NASA’s Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) spacecraft on Dec. 7, 2021 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. IXPE is scheduled to launch no earlier than 1 a.m. EST Thursday, Dec. 9, on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A. NASA’s Launch Services Program is managing this launch. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the IXPE mission. Ball Aerospace, headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado, manages spacecraft operations with support from the University of Colorado at Boulder. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the Explorers Program for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The U.S. Space Force’s Space Launch Delta 45 provides range support for this launch. SpaceX is providing the launch vehicle for this mission.
Jennifer Kunz, associate director, technical, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, participates in a virtual Town Hall meeting on Jan. 13, 2022, for Kennedy employees. Center Director Janet Petro and other center executive leaders hosted the virtual town hall to provide updates on center milestones and answer questions.
In the Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site auditorium, agency and industry leaders speak to members of the media at a prelaunch news conference for the SpaceX CRS-10 commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station. From left are: Dan Hartman, deputy manager for the International Space Station Program at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Texas; and Jessica Jensen, director of Dragon mission management for SpaceX.
Will Ulrich, 45th Space Wing weather officer with the U.S. Air Force, speaks to members of the news media during a prelaunch news conference for SpaceX’s 17th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-17) mission for NASA to the International Space Station on May 2, 2019, at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo module are scheduled to launch no earlier than May 3, 2019, from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
NASA Communications’ Megan Cruz moderates a postlaunch news conference for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission inside the News Auditorium at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Oct. 5, 2022. SpaceX’s Dragon Endurance is carrying NASA astronauts Nicole Mann, commander; Josh Cassada, pilot; and Mission Specialists Koichi Wakata, of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina to the International Space Station for a science expedition mission as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at noon EDT from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A.
In the Press Site auditorium of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Pam Underwood, manager of the Operations Integration Division of the Federal Aviation Administration Office of Commercial Space Transportation, speaks to the news media at a post-launch news conference following the liftoff of SpaceX CRS-10, a commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station. SpaceX CRS-10 lifted off atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy's Launch Complex 39A at 9:39 a.m. EST.
Laura Aguiar hosts NASA’s prelaunch technology show for Space Test Program-2 (STP-2) at Kennedy Space Center on June 23, 2019. STP-2 is managed by the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center.
Members of the media listen to a prelaunch status briefing for Orbital ATK's seventh commercial resupply mission, CRS-7, to the International Space Station, at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Press Site in Florida. Moderating the briefing is George Diller, NASA Kennedy Public Affairs. Participants in the briefing are Joel Montalbano, deputy manager, NASA International Space Station Program; Vern Thorp, program manager, commercial missions, United Launch Alliance; Frank Culbertson, Space Systems Group president, Orbital ATK; Tara Ruttley, Johnson Space Center Program Science Office; and David Craft, weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron. Orbital ATK's Cygnus pressurized cargo module is set to launch atop the ULA Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on April 18. Cygnus will deliver 7,600 pounds of supplies, equipment and scientific research materials to the space station. Liftoff is scheduled for 11:11 a.m. EDT.
In the Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site auditorium, members of the media participated with NASA and industry leaders in a prelaunch news conference for the agency’s Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer, or OSIRIS-REx spacecraft.
NASA senior leadership and the Artemis II crew participate in a news conference on Aug. 8, 2023, at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Participants include from left, NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, Artemis II commander; NASA astronaut Victor Glover, Artemis II pilot; NASA astronaut Christina Hammock Koch, Artemis II mission specialist; and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, Artemis II mission specialist. Artemis II is the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term lunar presence for science and exploration under Artemis and is the first mission with astronauts to the Moon.
Will Ulrich, launch weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron, speaks during a prelaunch briefing for Boeing’s Orbital Flight Test at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Dec. 17, 2019. Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft will launch atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The uncrewed Orbital Flight Test will be the Starliner’s first flight to the International Space Station for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
Arlena Moses, launch weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, is introduced during a prelaunch news conference for SpaceX’s 24th commercial resupply services mission at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2021. Liftoff of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company’s Dragon spacecraft on board is targeted for Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021, at 5:07 a.m. EST. The mission will deliver new science investigations, supplies, and equipment to the crew on board the International Space Station.
Patrick O’Neill, senior manager of Marketing and Communications for the International Space Station U.S. National Laboratory, speaks to members of the media in the Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site auditorium. The briefing focused on research planned for launch to the International Space Station. The scientific materials and supplies will be aboard a Dragon spacecraft scheduled for liftoff from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the company's 16th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the space station.
NASA astronauts Nicole Mann (left) and Kjell Lindgren participate in a press briefing inside the Press Site auditorium on May 26, 2020, at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 launch, slated for Wednesday, May 27. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft are scheduled to lift off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A, carrying NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley to the International Space Station. This will mark the first launch of astronauts from U.S. soil to the space station since the conclusion of the Space Shuttle Program in 2011. Part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program, this will be SpaceX’s final flight test, paving the way for NASA to certify the crew transportation system for regular, crewed flights to the orbiting laboratory. Liftoff is scheduled for 4:33 p.m. EDT.
Jackie McGuinness, NASA press secretary, moderates a postlaunch news conference for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission on April 23, 2021, at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff time on a Falcon 9 rocket was at 5:49 p.m. EDT. Crew Dragon Endeavour is carrying NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough, spacecraft commander; NASA astronaut Megan McArthur, pilot; ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, mission specialist; and JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, mission specialist, to the International Space Station. Crew-2 is the second regular crew mission of a U.S. commercial spacecraft with astronauts to the space station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Endeavour will dock with the station and the crew will remain on the orbiting laboratory for a six-month science mission.
Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator, NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, is introduced during a prelaunch news conference for the Lucy mission held inside the TV Auditorium at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Oct. 13, 2021. The mission is scheduled to launch no earlier than 5:34 a.m. EDT Saturday, Oct. 16, on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at Kennedy, is managing the launch. During its 12-year primary mission, Lucy will explore a record-breaking number of asteroids, flying by one asteroid in the solar system’s main belt and seven Trojan asteroids. Additionally, Lucy’s path will circle back to Earth three times for gravity assists, making it the first spacecraft to return to the vicinity of Earth from the outer solar system.
Dr. Edward Kelly, with the University of Washington School of Pharmacy, discusses The Tissue Chips in Space project during a What’s On Board science briefing to NASA Social participants at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 29, 2019. The briefing was held for SpaceX’s 17th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-17) mission to the International Space Station. Kelly and other researchers will send kidney tissue chip models to the space station to understand how microgravity affects kidney function, such as changes in vitamin D metabolism and formation of kidney stones. NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 (OCO-3) and Space Test Program-Houston 6 (STP-H6) are two of the experiments that also will be delivered to the space station on CRS-17. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo module are scheduled to launch no earlier than May 3, 2019, from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
Bettina Inclán, NASA associate administrator for Communications, addresses members of the media during a post launch news conference in Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site auditorium following the March 2, 2:49 a.m. EST launch of the SpaceX Demo-1 Commercial Crew Program (CCP) mission to the International Space Station. The Crew Dragon’s trip to the space station is designed to validate end-to-end systems and capabilities, leading to certification to fly crew. NASA has worked with SpaceX and Boeing in developing the CCP spacecraft to facilitate new human spaceflight systems launching from U.S. soil with the goal of safe, reliable and cost-effective access to low-Earth orbit destinations, such as the space station.
Kathy Lueders, associate administrator, Space Operations Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters, speaks to members of the news media during a postlaunch news conference for the SpaceX Crew-6 mission at Kennedy Space Center’s NASA News Center in Florida on March 2, 2023. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the Dragon spacecraft Endeavour for NASA’s Crew-6 mission to the International Space Station lifted off at 12:34 a.m. EST. Aboard Dragon are NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen, spacecraft commander, and Warren Hoburg, pilot, along with mission specialists Sultan Alneyadi, UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut, and Andrey Fedyaev, Roscosmos cosmonaut. Crew-6 is the sixth crew rotation mission with SpaceX to the station, and the seventh flight of Dragon with people as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program.
Kennedy Space Center Deputy Director Kelvin Manning participates in a virtual town hall meeting at the Florida spaceport on July 9, 2021. Center Director Janet Petro and Associate Director, Management Burt Summerfield also spoke at the event, which addressed topics such as the center’s COVID-19 status, Kennedy missions and milestones, and the agency budget request. Employees at Kennedy had the opportunity to send in questions, which were answered by the center’s senior leaders.
A prelaunch news conference for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-T (GOES-T) is held on Feb. 26, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. John Gagosian, director, Joint Agency Satellite Division, NASA Headquarters Science Mission Directorate, answers questions during the news conference. GOES-T is scheduled to lift off on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 541 rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on March 1, 2022, at 4:38 p.m. GOES-T is the third satellite in the GOES-R series that will continue to help meteorologists observe and predict local weather events that affect public safety. The launch is being managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program based at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, America’s multi-user spaceport.
NASA’s Commercial Crew Program Manager, Kathy Lueders, participates in a postlaunch news conference inside the Press Site auditorium at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 30, 2020, following the launch of NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission to the International Space Station. Liftoff of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft, carrying NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley, occurred at 3:22 p.m. EDT from historic Launch Complex 39A. Behnken and Hurley are the first astronauts to launch to the space station from U.S. soil since the end of the Space Shuttle Program in 2011. Part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, this will be SpaceX’s final flight test, paving the way for the agency to certify the crew transportation system for regular, crewed flights to the orbiting laboratory.
Jeremy Parsons, Exploration Ground Systems, deputy program manager, NASA Kennedy Space Center, participates in a prelaunch media briefing on the status of the Artemis I countdown on Sept. 2, 2022, at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Artemis I is scheduled to launch at 2:17 p.m. EDT on Sept. 3, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39B. Launch was waved off on Aug. 29 due to an issue during tanking. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate NASA’s capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown.
In the Press Site auditorium of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, William Spetch, deputy manager of the International Space Station Transportation Office, speaks to the news media at a post-launch news conference following the liftoff of SpaceX CRS-10, a commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station. SpaceX CRS-10 lifted off atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy's Launch Complex 39A at 9:39 a.m. EST.
NASA holds a prelaunch media briefing on the agency’s Moon to Mars exploration plans on Aug. 27, 2022, at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, as the clock counts down to the launch of Artemis I scheduled for Aug. 29, at 8:33 a.m. EDT from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39B. From left, are Jackie McGuinness, NASA press secretary; Bill Nelson, NASA administrator; Bhavya Lal, NASA associate administrator for technology, policy and strategy; Jim Free, NASA associate administrator, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate; Kathy Lueders, NASA associate administrator, Space Operations Mission Directorate; Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate; Prasun Desai, NASA deputy associate administrator, Space Technology Mission Directorate; and Randy Bresnik, NASA astronaut. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown.
NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik speaks during a prelaunch media briefing on the agency’s Moon to Mars exploration plans on Aug. 27, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, as the clock counts down to the launch of Artemis I scheduled for Aug. 29, at 8:33 a.m. EDT from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39B. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown.
Mike McAleenan, launch weather officer with the U.S. Air Force 45th Weather Squadron, participates in a briefing at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 17, 2020, prior to launch of SpaceX’s uncrewed In-Flight Abort Test. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket topped by the company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft will lift off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A, then begin the launch-abort sequence. The spacecraft will demonstrate its escape capabilities in preparation for crewed flights to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program.
Tylar Greene, NASA Communications, moderates a climate conversation at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 13, 2022, leading up to SpaceX’s 25th Commercial Resupply Services mission for NASA to the International Space Station. The Dragon capsule atop SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A on July 14 at 8:44 p.m. EDT. Dragon will deliver more than 5,800 pounds of cargo, including a variety of NASA investigations, to the space station.
In the Press Site auditorium at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Octavia Spencer speaks to members of the media during a news conference with other key individuals involved in the upcoming motion picture "Hidden Figures." The movie is based on the book of the same title, by Margot Lee Shetterly. It chronicles the lives of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan (played by Spencer) and Mary Jackson, three African-American women who worked for NASA as human "computers.” Their mathematical calculations were crucial to the success of Project Mercury missions including John Glenn’s orbital flight aboard Friendship 7 in 1962. The film is due in theaters in January 2017.
Officials from NASA, Boeing and United Launch Alliance participate in a briefing at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida following launch of Boeing’s Orbital Flight Test, Dec. 20, 2019. From left to right are Bettina Inclan, NASA Communications; NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Nicole Mann; Jim Bridenstine, NASA Administrator; Tory Bruno, President and CEO, United Launch Alliance; Jim Chilton, Boeing senior vice president, Space and Launch Division; Steve Stich, deputy manager, NASA Commercial Crew Program; and Kirk Shireman, manager, International Space Station Program. Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft launched atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 6:36 a.m. EST. The uncrewed Orbital Flight Test is the Starliner’s first flight for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana participates in a NASA Social Facebook Live briefing inside the Press Site auditorium on May 26, 2020, at Kennedy ahead of NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 launch, slated for Wednesday, May 27. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft are scheduled to lift off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A, carrying NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley to the International Space Station. This will mark the first launch of astronauts from U.S. soil to the space station since the conclusion of the Space Shuttle Program in 2011. Part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program, this will be SpaceX’s final flight test, paving the way for NASA to certify the crew transportation system for regular, crewed flights to the orbiting laboratory. Liftoff is scheduled for 4:33 p.m. EDT.
A science briefing for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-T (GOES-T) is held on Feb. 25, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Candace Carlisle, GOES-R flight project manager, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, participates in the briefing. GOES-T is scheduled to lift off on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 541 rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on March 1, 2022, at 4:38 p.m. GOES-T is the third satellite in the GOES-R series that will continue to help meteorologists observe and predict local weather events that affect public safety. The launch is being managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program based at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, America’s multi-user spaceport.
In the Press Site auditorium of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Bob Holl, chief of the Kennedy Damage Assessment and Recovery Team speaks to the media about efforts to recover from Hurricane Matthew. Officials determined that the center received some isolated roof damage, damaged support buildings, a few downed power lines, and limited water intrusion. Beach erosion also occurred, although the storm surge was less than expected. NASA closed the center ahead of the storm’s onset and only a small team of specialists known as the Ride-out Team was on the center as the storm approached and passed.
Greg Harland of NASA Communications speaks to members of the media in the Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site auditorium. The briefing focused on research planned for launch to the International Space Station. The scientific materials and supplies will be aboard a Dragon spacecraft scheduled for liftoff from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the company's 16th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the space station.
Jackie McGuinness, NASA press secretary, moderates a news conference Sept. 3, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, after launch of Artemis I was waived off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39B. Teams encountered a liquid hydrogen leak while loading propellant into the core stage of the Space Launch System rocket. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown.
A payload briefing for NASA’s Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) spacecraft is held on Dec.7, 2021 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Participants from left are Karen Fox, moderator, NASA Communications; Brian Ramsey, deputy principal investigator, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center; Elisabetta Cavazzuti, ASI IXPE program manager, Italian Space Agency; Luca Baldini, Italian co-principal investigator, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center; and MacKenzie Ferrie, IXPE program manager, Ball Aerospace. IXPE is scheduled to launch no earlier than 1 a.m. EST Thursday, Dec. 9, on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A. NASA’s Launch Services Program is managing this launch. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the IXPE mission. Ball Aerospace, headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado, manages spacecraft operations with support from the University of Colorado at Boulder. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the Explorers Program for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The U.S. Space Force’s Space Launch Delta 45 provides range support for this launch. SpaceX is providing the launch vehicle for this mission.
Ralf Zimmerman, head of Moon programs and Orion European Service Module, Airbus, participates in a prelaunch media briefing on the role of industry in advancing human exploration on Aug. 26, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, as the agency prepares for launch of Artemis I scheduled for Aug. 29, at 8:33 a.m. EDT from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39B. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown.
NASA Associate Administrator Bob Cabana speaks to the media ahead of Boeing’s Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, July 29, 2021. Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft will launch atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The uncrewed OFT-2 will be the Starliner’s second flight for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
In the Press Site auditorium of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA and industry leaders speak to media at a post-launch news conference following the liftoff of SpaceX CRS-11, a commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station. From left are: Mike Curie of NASA Communications, Ven Feng, NASA's manager of the International Space Station Transportation Integration Office, and Hans Koenigsmann, vice president of Flight Reliability for SpaceX. SpaceX CRS-11 lifted off atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy's Launch Complex 39A at 5:07 p.m. EDT.
In the Press Site auditorium of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Vern Thorp, United Space Alliance's program manager for NASA missions, speaks to members of the news media at a post-launch news conference following the liftoff of Orbital ATK CRS-6, a commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station, or ISS. The Cygnus spacecraft lifted off atop an Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 11:05 p.m. EDT.
Julian Rubinfien, student winner of the Genes in Space competition, discusses his Genes in Space II winning experiment during a "What's on Board" science briefing to NASA Social participants at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The briefing was for Orbital ATK's seventh commercial resupply services mission, CRS-7, to the International Space Station. Orbital ATK's Cygnus pressurized cargo module is set to launch on the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on April 18. Liftoff is scheduled for 11:11 a.m. EDT.
In the Kennedy Space Center's Press Site auditorium, members of the media participate in a mission briefing on the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-R). Briefing participants from left are: Steven Goodman, NOAA's GOES-R program scientist; Joseph A. Pica, director of the National Weather Service Office of Observations; Sandra Cauffman, deputy director of NASA's Earth Science Division; and Damon Penn, assistant administrator for response at the Federal Emergency Management Agency. GOES-R is the first satellite in a series of next-generation GOES satellites for NOAA, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. It will launch to a geostationary orbit over the western hemisphere to provide images of storms and help meteorologists predict severe weather conditionals and develop long-range forecasts.
Will Ulrich, launch weather officer with the U.S. Air Force 45th Space Wing, discusses the liftoff weather forecast during the prelaunch news conference for SpaceX’s 18th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-18) mission to the International Space Station, July 24, 2019, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and uncrewed Dragon spacecraft are scheduled to launch July 24, 2019, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Florida’s Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
NASA’s Associate Administrator for Communications, Bettina Inclán, moderates a postlaunch news conference inside the Press Site auditorium at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 30, 2020, following the launch of the agency’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission to the International Space Station. Liftoff of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft, carrying NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley, occurred at 3:22 p.m. EDT from historic Launch Complex 39A. Behnken and Hurley are the first astronauts to launch to the space station from U.S. soil since the end of the Space Shuttle Program in 2011. Part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, this will be SpaceX’s final flight test, paving the way for the agency to certify the crew transportation system for regular, crewed flights to the orbiting laboratory.
In the Kennedy Space Center's Press Site auditorium, Sandra Cauffman, deputy director of NASA's Earth Science Division, speaks to the media during a mission briefing on the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-R). GOES-R is the first satellite in a series of next-generation GOES satellites for NOAA, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. It will launch to a geostationary orbit over the western hemisphere to provide images of storms and help meteorologists predict severe weather conditionals and develop long-range forecasts.
Kathy Lueders, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, participates in a briefing at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 17, 2020, prior to launch of SpaceX’s uncrewed In-Flight Abort Test. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket topped by the company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft will lift off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A, then begin the launch-abort sequence. The spacecraft will demonstrate its escape capabilities in preparation for crewed flights to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program.
Jason August, International Space Station Mission Evaluation Room manager, talks to NASA Social participants about the International Docking Adapter-3 payload during a What’s On Board science briefing at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 23, 2019. The briefing was held for SpaceX’s 18th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-18) mission to the station. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and uncrewed Dragon spacecraft are scheduled to launch July 24, 2019, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Florida’s Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
A SpaceX Crew-2 prelaunch news conference was held at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 20, 2021. Participants included, from left to right: Steve Stich, manager, NASA Commercial Crew Program; Joel Montalbano, manager, International Space Station Program; Benji Reed, senior director, Human Spaceflight Programs, SpaceX; Norm Knight, deputy manager, Flight Operations Directorate; Junichi Sakai, manager, International Space Station Program, JAXA; Frank de Winne, manager, International Space Station Program, ESA; Kirt Costello, chief scientist, International Space Station Program; and Brian Cizek, launch weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron, U.S. Space Force.
Bhavya Lal, NASA associate administrator for technology, policy and strategy, participates in a prelaunch media briefing on the agency’s Moon to Mars exploration plans on Aug. 27, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, as the clock counts down to the launch of Artemis I scheduled for Aug. 29, at 8:33 a.m. EDT from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39B. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown.
NASA’s Commercial Crew Program Manager, Kathy Lueders, participates in a postlaunch news conference inside the Press Site auditorium at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 30, 2020, following the launch of NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission to the International Space Station. Liftoff of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft, carrying NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley, occurred at 3:22 p.m. EDT from historic Launch Complex 39A. Behnken and Hurley are the first astronauts to launch to the space station from U.S. soil since the end of the Space Shuttle Program in 2011. Part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, this will be SpaceX’s final flight test, paving the way for the agency to certify the crew transportation system for regular, crewed flights to the orbiting laboratory.
In Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site auditorium, agency and industry leaders speak to members of the media on Friday, Feb. 22, during the post-flight readiness review briefing for the SpaceX Demo-1 Commercial Crew Program (CCP) mission to the International Space Station. From left are: Kathy Lueders, manager, NASA Commercial Crew Program; Hans Koenigsmann, vice president, Build and Flight Reliability, SpaceX; and Kirk Shireman, International Space Station Program manager. The inaugural uncrewed flight of the SpaceX Crew Dragon, known as Demo-1, is targeted to lift off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A on Saturday, March 2. EST. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Crew Dragon on a mission designed to validate end-to-end systems and capabilities, leading to certification to fly crew.
In the Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site auditorium, Daniella DellaGiustina, OSIRIS-REx lead image processing scientist at the University of Arizona, Tucson, speaks to members of the media during a briefing on science experiments involved in NASA’s Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer, or OSIRIS-REx spacecraft.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson participates in the NASA Administrator Media Briefing ahead of Boeing’s Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, July 29, 2021. Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft will launch atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The uncrewed OFT-2 will be the Starliner’s second flight for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
After the first launch attempt of NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test, a news conference is held on Monday, May 6, 2024, at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program, the first crewed launch to the International Space Station aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at nearby Cape Canaveral Space Force Station was targeted for 10:34 p.m. ET but scrubbed for the day. Participants, from left to right are, Megan Cruz, NASA Communications; NASA Associate Administrator for Space Operations Ken Bowersox; NASA Commercial Crew Program Manager Steve Stich; NASA International Space Station Program Manager Dana Weigel; ULA (United Launch Alliance) President and CEO, Tory Bruno; and Vice President and Program Manager of Boeing’s Commercial Crew Program Mark Nappi.
Dr. Lucy Low, with the National Institutes of Health, talks to NASA Social participants during a What’s On Board science briefing at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 29, 2019. The briefing was held for SpaceX’s 17th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-17) mission to the International Space Station. Low presented on the Tissue Chips in Space project that will test the ability of tissue chip technology to mimic how human organs work and reveal what effects microgravity has on tissue function. Headed to the space station will be lung and bone marrow chips, kidney chips, chips modeling the blood-brain barrier, and bone and cartilage chips. NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 (OCO-3) and Space Test Program-Houston 6 (STP-H6) are two of the experiments that also will be delivered to the space station on CRS-17. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo module are scheduled to launch no earlier than May 3, 2019, from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
Members of the news media attend the prelaunch news conference for SpaceX’s 18th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-18) mission to the International Space Station, July 24, 2019, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Participants were Marie Lewis, NASA Communications moderator; Bill Spetch, deputy manager of the International Space Station Transportation Integration Office at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston; Jessica Jensen, director of Dragon mission management at SpaceX; Pete Hasbrook, manager of the space station’s Program Science Office at Johnson; and Will Ulrich, launch weather officer with the U.S. Air Force 45th Space Wing. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and uncrewed Dragon spacecraft are scheduled to launch July 24, 2019, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Florida’s Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
Kathy Lueders, associate administrator, Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA, participates in a postlaunch news conference following the liftoff of NASA Boeing’s Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) on May 19, 2022. Liftoff occurred at 6:54 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex-41 at Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Boeing’s uncrewed flight test is designed to test the system’s end-to-end capabilities for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program providing valuable data towards NASA certifying Boeing’s crew transportation system for regular crewed flights to and from the International Space Station.
Members of the media gather in the Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site auditorium in Florida during a prelaunch news conference with NASA, Boeing, United Launch Alliance (ULA) and the U.S. Space Force 45th Weather Squadron officials, July 27, 2021, prior to the Friday, July 30, launch of NASA’s Boeing Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2). . From left to right at the dais are Kyle Herring, NASA Communications; Steve Stich, manager, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program; Joel Montalbano, manager, NASA’s International Space Station Program; Jennifer Buchli, deputy chief scientist, NASA’s International Space Station Program; John Vollmer, vice president and program manager, Boeing Commercial Crew Program; Gary Wentz, vice president, Government and Commercial Programs, ULA; Will Ulrich, launch weather officer, U.S. Space Force, 45th Weather Squadron. Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft will launch atop a ULA Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on a mission to dock with the space station. The uncrewed OFT-2 will be the Starliner’s second flight for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
Members of the media gather in Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site auditorium during a post launch news conference with agency and industry leaders following the March 2, 2:49 a.m. EST launch of the SpaceX Demo-1 Commercial Crew Program (CCP) mission to the International Space Station. The Crew Dragon’s trip to the space station is designed to validate end-to-end systems and capabilities, leading to certification to fly crew. NASA has worked with SpaceX and Boeing in developing the CCP spacecraft to facilitate new human spaceflight systems launching from U.S. soil with the goal of safe, reliable and cost-effective access to low-Earth orbit destinations, such as the space station.
Leah Martin, NASA Communications, moderates the Safety Starts With You Leadership Panel on Jan. 25, 2022, at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The panel discussion featured senior leaders from the spaceport addressing ways employees can focus on safely completing mission objectives in the new year. Panelists included Kennedy Space Center Director Janet Petro, Director of Safety and Mission Assurance Ronnie Rodriguez, Director of Spaceport Integration and Services Nancy Bray, and Exploration Ground Systems Chief of Staff Sasha Sims.
A press conference is held on Aug. 29, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, after waving-off of the launch of the agency’s Artemis I mission. Participants from left, are NASA Press Secretary Jackie McGuiness; Bill Nelson, NASA administrator; Mike Sarafin, Artemis mission manager, NASA Headquarters; and Jim Free, associate administrator for Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown.
Kathy Lueders, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, left, and Benji Reed, director of Crew Mission Management for SpaceX, participate in a briefing at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 17, 2020, prior to launch of SpaceX’s uncrewed In-Flight Abort Test. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket topped by the company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft will lift off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A, then begin the launch-abort sequence. The spacecraft will demonstrate its escape capabilities in preparation for crewed flights to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program.
In the Kennedy Space Center's Press Site auditorium, Peter Coen, SonicBAT Mission Analysis at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia, speaks to members of the media at a news conference to discuss upcoming flight tests to study the effects of sonic booms. Kennedy is partnering with Armstrong, Langley and Space Florida for a program called SonicBAT for Sonic Booms in Atmospheric Turbulence. Starting in August, NASA F-18 jets will take off from the Shuttle Landing Facility and fly at supersonic speeds while agency researchers on the ground measure the effects of low-altitude turbulence on sonic booms. The study could lead to technology mitigating the annoying sonic booms making possible supersonic flights over populated areas.
In Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site auditorium, agency and industry leaders speak to members of the media on Friday, Feb. 22, during the post-flight readiness review briefing for the SpaceX Demo-1 Commercial Crew Program (CCP) mission to the International Space Station. From left are: Josh Finch of NASA Communications; William Gerstenmaier, associate administrator, NASA Human Exploration and Operations; Kathy Lueders, manager, NASA Commercial Crew Program; Hans Koenigsmann, vice president, Build and Flight Reliability, SpaceX; Kirk Shireman, International Space Station Program manager; and Norm Knight, deputy director, NASA Johnson Space Center Flight Operations. The inaugural uncrewed flight of the SpaceX Crew Dragon, known as Demo-1, is targeted to lift off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A on Saturday, March 2. EST. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Crew Dragon on a mission designed to validate end-to-end systems and capabilities, leading to certification to fly crew.
Steve Dickson, administrator, Federal Aviation Administration, answers questions from members of the news media during a postlaunch news conference for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission on Nov. 15, 2020, at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff time on a Falcon 9 rocket was at 7:27 p.m. EST. The Crew Dragon is carrying NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins, spacecraft commander; Victor Glover, pilot; Shannon Walker, mission specialist; and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Soichi Noguchi, mission specialist, to the International Space Station. Crew-1 is the first regular crew mission of a U.S. commercial spacecraft with astronauts to the space station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The Crew Dragon will dock with the station and the crew will remain on the orbiting laboratory for a six-month science mission.
Joel Montalbano, manager, International Space Station Program, participates in a postlaunch news conference for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission on April 23, 2021, at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff on a Falcon 9 rocket was at 5:49 p.m. EDT. Crew Dragon Endeavour is carrying NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough, spacecraft commander; NASA astronaut Megan McArthur, pilot; ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, mission specialist; and JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, mission specialist, to the International Space Station. Crew-2 is the second regular crew mission of a U.S. commercial spacecraft with astronauts to the space station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Endeavour will dock with the station and the crew will remain on the orbiting laboratory for a six-month science mission.
Dana Weigel, deputy manager, International Space Station Program, participates in a prelaunch briefing for NASA’s uncrewed Boeing Orbital Flight Test (OFT-2) at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, May 17, 2022. Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner is targeted to launch at 6:54 p.m. EDT on Thursday, May 19, on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida to rendezvous and dock with the International Space Station.
John Elbon, chief operating officer, United Launch Alliance, participates in a postlaunch news conference following the liftoff of NASA Boeing’s Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) on May 19, 2022. Liftoff occurred at 6:54 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex-41 at Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Boeing’s uncrewed flight test is designed to test the system’s end-to-end capabilities for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program providing valuable data towards NASA certifying Boeing’s crew transportation system for regular crewed flights to and from the International Space Station.
Tara Ruttley, NASA associate scientist for the International Space Station Program, left, and Patrick O'Nell, Marketing and Communications manager for the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), speak to members of social media in the Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site auditorium. The briefing focused on research planned for launch to the International Space Station. The scientific materials and supplies will be aboard a Dragon spacecraft scheduled for launch from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A on Feb. 18 atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on the company's 10th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the space station.
NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy participates in the NASA Administrator Media Briefing ahead of Boeing’s Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, July 29, 2021. Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft will launch atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The uncrewed OFT-2 will be the Starliner’s second flight for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
Officials from NASA participate in a crew and science media briefing ahead or Boeing’s Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, July 29, 2021. From left to right are Megan Cruz, NASA Communications; Chris Ferguson, director, Starliner Mission Operations and Integration/Crew Systems; Barry “Butch” Wilmore, NASA astronaut, Crew Flight Test; E. Michael “Mike” Fincke, NASA astronaut, Crew Flight Test; Nicole Mann, NASA astronaut, Crew Flight Test; Jennifer Buchli, deputy chief scientist, NASA’s International Space Station Program. Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft will launch atop a ULA Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on a mission to dock with the space station. The uncrewed OFT-2 will be the Starliner’s second flight for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana participates in a virtual town hall at the Florida spaceport’s Press Site auditorium on June 10, 2020, to share the plan for employees to safely return to on-site work during the time of COVID-19. Also participating were Deputy Director Janet Petro and Dr. David Tipton, chief medical officer, not pictured.
In the Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site auditorium, NASA and industry leaders speak to members of the media during a prelaunch news conference for the agency’s Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System, or CYGNSS, spacecraft. From left are: Christine Bonniksen, CYGNSS program executive in the Earth Science Division of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.; and Tim Dunn, NASA launch director at Kennedy. The eight CYGNSS satellites will make frequent and accurate measurements of ocean surface winds throughout the life cycle of tropical storms and hurricanes. The data will help scientists probe key air-sea interaction processes that take place near the core of storms, which are rapidly changing and play a crucial role in the beginning and intensification of hurricanes.
Kirk Shireman, manager of NASA’s International Space Station Program, listens during a briefing at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida following launch of Boeing’s Orbital Flight Test, Dec. 20, 2019. Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft launched atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 6:36 a.m. EST. The uncrewed Orbital Flight Test is the Starliner’s first flight for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
Jessica Jensen, vice president of customer operations and Integration, SpaceX, participates in a Crew-4 postlaunch news conference April 27, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, powered by the company’s Falcon 9 rocket, lifted off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A at 3:52 a.m. EDT on April 27. Named Freedom by mission astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, Jessica Watkins, and Samantha Cristoforetti, Dragon is scheduled to dock to the space station today at 8:15 p.m. EDT.
Officials from NASA, Boeing and United Launch Alliance participate in a briefing at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida following launch of Boeing’s Orbital Flight Test, Dec. 20, 2019. From left to right are NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Nicole Mann; Jim Bridenstine, NASA Administrator; Tory Bruno, President and CEO, United Launch Alliance; Jim Chilton, Boeing senior vice president, Space and Launch Division; Steve Stich, deputy manager, NASA Commercial Crew Program; and Kirk Shireman, manager, International Space Station Program. Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft launched atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 6:36 a.m. EST. The uncrewed Orbital Flight Test is the Starliner’s first flight for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
Paul Reichert, associate principal scientist at Merck Research Laboratories in Kenilworth, New Jersey, left, speaks to members of social media in the Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site auditorium. The briefing focused on growth of crystals in microgravity planned for the International Space Station following the arrival of a Dragon spacecraft. The Dragon is scheduled to be launched from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A on Feb. 18 atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on the company's 10th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the space station.
Sarah Walker, director of Dragon Mission Management at SpaceX, participates in a postlaunch news conference for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission inside the News Auditorium at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Oct. 5, 2022. SpaceX’s Dragon Endurance is carrying NASA astronauts Nicole Mann, commander; Josh Cassada, pilot; and Mission Specialists Koichi Wakata, of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina to the International Space Station for a science expedition mission as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at noon EDT from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A.
In Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site auditorium, agency and industry leaders speak to members of the media on Friday, Feb. 22, during the post-flight readiness review briefing for the SpaceX Demo-1 Commercial Crew Program (CCP) mission to the International Space Station. From left are: Josh Finch of NASA Communications; William Gerstenmaier, associate administrator, NASA Human Exploration and Operations; and Kathy Lueders, manager, NASA Commercial Crew Program. The inaugural uncrewed flight of the SpaceX Crew Dragon, known as Demo-1, is targeted to lift off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A on Saturday, March 2. EST. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Crew Dragon on a mission designed to validate end-to-end systems and capabilities, leading to certification to fly crew.
In the Press Site auditorium at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, members of the media participate in a news conference with key individuals from the upcoming motion picture "Hidden Figures." From the left are: Ted Melfi, writer and director of “Hidden Figures”; Octavia Spencer, who portrays Dorothy Vaughan; Taraji P. Henson, who portrays Katherine Johnson in the film; Janelle Monáe, who portrays Mary Jackson; Pharrell Williams, musician and producer of “Hidden Figures"; and Bill Barry, NASA's chief historian. The movie is based on the book of the same title, by Margot Lee Shetterly. It chronicles the lives of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, three African-American women who worked for NASA as human "computers.” Their mathematical calculations were crucial to the success of Project Mercury missions including John Glenn’s orbital flight aboard Friendship 7 in 1962. The film is due in theaters in January 2017.
In the Press Site auditorium of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA and industry leaders speak to media at a post-launch news conference following the liftoff of SpaceX CRS-12, a commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station. From left are: Stephanie Martin of NASA Communications, Dan Hartman, NASA deputy manager of the International Space Station Program, and Hans Koenigsmann, SpaceX vice president of Flight and Build Reliability. SpaceX CRS-12 lifted off atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy's Launch Complex 39A at 12:31 p.m. EDT.
In the Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site auditorium, Mike McAleenan, launch weather officer for the U.S. Air Force 45th Weather Squadron, speaks to members of the media during a prelaunch news conference for the SpaceX CRS-11 commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station. A Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to be launched from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A on June 1 atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on the company's 11th Commercial Resupply Services mission to the space station.
Hiroshi Sasaki, vice president and director general of JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Human Spaceflight Technology Directorate, participates in a postlaunch news conference for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission inside the News Auditorium at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Oct. 5, 2022. SpaceX’s Dragon Endurance is carrying NASA astronauts Nicole Mann, commander; Josh Cassada, pilot; and Mission Specialists Koichi Wakata, of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina to the International Space Station for a science expedition mission as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at noon EDT from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A.
In the Press Site auditorium at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, members of the media participate in a news conference with key individuals from the upcoming motion picture "Hidden Figures." From the left are: Ted Melfi (partially visible), writer and director of “Hidden Figures”; Octavia Spencer, who portrays Dorothy Vaughan; Taraji P. Henson, who portrays Katherine Johnson in the film; Janelle Monáe, who portrays Mary Jackson; Pharrell Williams, musician and producer of “Hidden Figures"; and Bill Barry, NASA's chief historian. The movie is based on the book of the same title, by Margot Lee Shetterly. It chronicles the lives of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, three African-American women who worked for NASA as human "computers.” Their mathematical calculations were crucial to the success of Project Mercury missions including John Glenn’s orbital flight aboard Friendship 7 in 1962. The film is due in theaters in January 2017.