All articles tagged with #kennedy space center
NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is on track for Aug. 30 launch from Kennedy Space Center atop SpaceX's Falcon Heavy, with live updates as the observatory moves toward the Sun-Earth L2 to study dark energy and exoplanets.
NASA will host a two-day aerospace expo called Max Power at Kennedy Space Center on November 7–8, featuring immersive experiences, air shows, tech demonstrations, spaceflight hardware displays and talks by NASA experts, with astronauts slated to appear and Administrator Jared Isaacman set to participate in the air show; officials say the event could become the first in a series.
NASA is accelerating Artemis III prep for a 2027 launch, with the Space Launch System core stage being assembled at Kennedy Space Center, RS-25 engines and boosters arriving and being installed, and the Orion spacecraft’s heat shield and service module being prepared as monthly launch simulations proceed; Artemis III will send four astronauts to low Earth orbit to rendezvous with two commercial lunar landers, a crucial stepping stone toward Artemis IV’s 2028 lunar landing, while related hardware such as the LOX tank for Artemis IV advances.
NASA has begun stacking the Space Launch System for Artemis III at Kennedy Space Center, with a solid rocket booster segment delivered to the Vehicle Assembly Building. The two SRBs, plus the core stage, will provide about 7.2 million pounds of liftoff thrust, delivering more than 75% of the rocket’s power. Artemis III, targeting a mid-to-late 2027 launch, will send four astronauts aboard Orion to rendezvous and dock with private lunar landers (Blue Moon and SpaceX’s Starship-based system) to test rendezvous and docking ahead of future lunar missions. The core stage arrived at the VAB in May without its engine section; the engine will be attached later. NASA aims to complete a wet dress rehearsal before year’s end as assembly continues.
A NASA Office of Inspector General report warns that aging launch facilities at Kennedy Space Center and Wallops Flight Facility are near capacity as Artemis, SpaceX, Blue Origin and others boost launch activity. The infrastructure strain—roads, power, gas and helium pipelines—could hinder future missions, with estimates showing about $1 billion needed for upgrades (only $250 million funded in the latest bill). The report calls for prioritized infrastructure fixes and explores new funding mechanisms to support ongoing upgrades as demand rises through 2028–2030 and beyond.
A NASA inspector general report warns Kennedy Space Center cannot support the elevated cadence of Starship launches needed for Artemis missions, with SpaceX planning up to 44 Starship launches per year and a minimum of 15 Starships to deliver propellant before the Starship HLS can carry astronauts to the Moon; upgrading aging pads and infrastructure at LC-39A and related facilities is essential to avoid bottlenecks and meet the 2028 lunar timeline.
NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope arrived at Kennedy Space Center and is targeting an Aug. 30 no-earlier-than liftoff on SpaceX's Falcon Heavy from Launch Complex 39A, eight months ahead of schedule. After transport from Goddard by road and sea aboard the Pegasus barge, the observatory will enter a roughly 70-day prelaunch campaign with tests, propellant loading, and encapsulation before launch to the Sun-Earth L2 point, where it will map billions of galaxies and exoplanets and demonstrate a coronagraph to directly image faint worlds, with a mission life expected to last at least five years.
NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has arrived at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, for final tests before an Aug. 30 liftoff aboard SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy—eight weeks earlier than originally planned. From Goddard, the telescope was shipped on a Pegasus barge to KSC, where it will be unpacked, decontaminated, and moved into the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility for final checkouts, fueling, and integration in preparation for launch to Sun-Earth L2. The mission, powered by a historical 2.4-meter mirror and a 300-megapixel camera, aims to study dark energy, exoplanets, and other cosmic phenomena, with a nominal five-year primary duration and potential extensions if conditions allow.
NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope arrived at Kennedy Space Center for a late-summer launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy, boasting a field of view 100 times larger than Hubble and aimed at studying dark energy, exoplanets, and up to a billion galaxies.
A NASA Inspector General report finds Kennedy Space Center’s launch infrastructure aging and already strained by rising private-rocket demand from SpaceX’s Starship and Blue Origin’s New Glenn. SpaceX aims to launch Starship from LC-39A roughly every eight days (potentially about 120 Starship flights annually), with Blue Origin targeting similar annual totals by 2035. The report highlights limited launch pads, aging gas and power systems, and an unfunded $25 million plan to expand gaseous nitrogen capacity, plus the prospect of future pad additions blocked by wetlands. NASA budgets for maintenance have fallen since 2021, raising concerns that aging facilities could bottleneck a growing U.S. spaceflight program and complicate timelines in the space race with China.
NASA Wallops employees in Code 800 are now under Kennedy Space Center management effective immediately, with GSFC Engineering and Technology Directorate leadership instructed to cancel their travel to Wallops; an email with more details is expected later this week.
NASA has begun assembling Artemis III’s Space Launch System at Kennedy Space Center, raising the rocket’s core stage inside the Vehicle Assembly Building ahead of a planned 2027 liftoff. The mission will test critical rendezvous and docking with lunar landers and will gauge performance alongside SpaceX’s Starship and Blue Origin’s Blue Moon as a stepping stone to crewed lunar exploration.
NASA has created a new senior director of launch operations role and appointed former chief of staff Brian Hughes to oversee launch operations at Kennedy Space Center and Wallops Flight Facility, a move intended to better align government and industry efforts, accelerate approvals, and expand U.S. launch activity as demand for commercial, scientific, and national-security launches grows.
NASA Watch reports concerns at Kennedy Space Center about converting longtime contractors to civil-service roles, including waiving education requirements to retain expertise, which has led to layoffs of older engineers and promotion of degree-holders; NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman tweeted that the education rule is dated and capable contractors should become civil servants, though the post notes NASA PAO did not comment and that the full picture remains unclear.
NASA announced Janet Petro, director of Kennedy Space Center, is retiring; Kelvin Manning will serve as acting center director. Petro is credited with transforming Kennedy into a multi-user spaceport and guiding cross-agency initiatives to boost efficiency.