ScientistPankaj: Boeing Starliner's historic 1st astronaut launch delayed by Atlas V rocket issue

Tuesday, May 7, 2024

Boeing Starliner's historic 1st astronaut launch delayed by Atlas V rocket issue

Starliner's 1st astronaut launch delayed by Atlas V | Space Quiz! In 1994, what Mexican physicist published a groundbreaking paper laying out how a real-life warp drive could work? | SpaceX reveals EVA suit for upcoming Polaris Dawn launch

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May 7, 2024

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The Launchpad

Starliner's 1st astronaut launch delayed by Atlas V

(Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Boeing's new commercial spacecraft, Starliner, waved off its first launch attempt late last night (May 6) due to a problem with an "oxygen relief valve on the Centaur Stage on the Atlas V," NASA posted on X. Atlas V, the flight's rocket manufactured by United Launch Alliance, has flown missions since 2002 with a 100 percent success rate, but this is its first mission with astronauts.

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Space Quiz! In 1994, what Mexican physicist published a groundbreaking paper laying out how a real-life warp drive could work?

Learn the answer here!

SpaceX reveals EVA suit for upcoming Polaris Dawn launch

(Polaris Program)

SpaceX's EVA suit looks much like the company's IVA suit (intravehicular activity), which was designed to be worn within spacecraft during launches and landings, but not in the vacuum of space. The new EVA suits contain material enhancements and joint improvements aimed at increasing astronauts' mobility while also protecting them from the cold, airless void outside their spacecraft.

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Skywatching

ISS may be more visible in the night sky throughout May

(Josh Dinner)

If your weather is clear this evening, we invite you to step outside and stare upward anytime from one to two hours after sundown. If you're fortunate to be located well away from any bright lights, break out a long lounge or deck-chair and get comfortable. Once your eyes have fully adapted to the dark, you might be able to count several hundred stars of varying degrees of brightness. But you also may also see some other interesting sights, including the largest and brightest object now orbiting Earth: the International Space Station.

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Spaceflight

Rocket issue pushes Starliner astronaut launch to May 10

(ULA)

The first crewed flight of Boeing's new Starliner capsule has been pushed to the end of the week due to a technical issue. NASA, ULA and Boeing initially expressed optimism that the issue causing last night's scrub could be resolved quickly, perhaps even in time for another launch attempt on tonight (May 7). But, early Tuesday morning, the teams announced that CFT will lift off no earlier than Friday night (May 10).

Full Story: Space (5/7)

Science & Astronomy

Should we send endangered species' DNA to the moon?

(Jeremy Cohen, Penn State University)

As warming sea temperatures and pollution continue to degrade the world's coral reefs at an unprecedented rate, scientists are investigating the feasibility of preserving them - in outer space.

Full Story: Space (5/7)

SpaceX

SpaceX launches 23 Starlink satellites from Florida

(SpaceX)

SpaceX launched another batch of its Starlink internet satellites today (May 6), the company's 46th orbital mission of the year already. It was the 15th launch and landing for this particular first stage, according to a SpaceX mission description. That's five shy of the company's reuse record, which is held by three different boosters. The Falcon 9's upper stage, meanwhile, continued powering its way to LEO, where it will deploy the 23 Starlink satellites about 65 minutes after liftoff.

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Technology

'Warp drives' may be possible someday, study suggests

(Shutterstock)

A new study provides some theoretical underpinning to warp drives, suggesting that the superfast propulsion tech may not forever elude humanity. The paper, published in the same journal as the famous 'Alcubierre drive' suggests that a warp drive may not require exotic negative energy after all.

Full Story: Space (5/7)

Search for Life

Guidelines needed for responsible Red Planet exploration

(NASA/Pat Rawlings)

Astronauts who explore Mars should be careful not to leave too heavy of a footprint, experts stress. Indeed, human exploration of the Red Planet poses risks to gathering possible evidence of life on Mars, scientists say. After all, here on Earth, comparable sites of scientific interest have suffered significant damage. "We risk the same for Mars without legal or normative frameworks to protect such sites," suggests a new research paper that calls for "geoconservation" principles applied to space - a term dubbed "exogeoconservation."

Full Story: Space (5/6)