Blue Ghost lander captures first Moon photos after stunning 'Blue Marble' Earth image
Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lander launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Jan. 15, carrying 10 Nasa payloads to the Moon.
About a week after launch, the spacecraft looked back on Earth during its second Earth-orbit burn, capturing the "Blue Marble" from where it came from.
In the next few years, NASA astronauts will have a similar view of Earth in the rearview mirror as they head toward the Moon on the space agency's Orion spacecraft.
According to Firefly Aerospace, the image was taken about 4,163 miles above Earth.
"Firefly captured the beauty of our home planet during another Earth orbit burn," the company said.
Over the weekend, Blue Ghost got its first look at its final destination: the Moon. Firefly shared new images of Earth's only natural satellite in the distance.
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After 45 days of spaceflight, Blue Ghost will attempt to land on the near side of the Moon near a volcanic feature called Mons Latreille within Mare Crisium.
The company is targeting a soft touchdown on March 2.Original article source: Blue Ghost lander captures first Moon photos after stunning 'Blue Marble' Earth image
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Crew-10 astronauts to depart ISS: How the Florida launch helped Starliner crew return
In mid-March, four spacefarers arrived at the International Space Station on a mission that at any other time would have been relatively routine and unremarkable. NASA astronauts Nichole Ayers and Anne McClain were joined by Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov on a mission known as Crew-10 that took on far more significance than most of the regular ventures jointly carried out by NASA and SpaceX. As expected, awaiting the Crew-10 contingent at the orbital outpost were months of scientific experiments tailored to be conducted in microgravity. Crucially, though, the mission also attracted plenty of headlines and fanfare as it cemented its place in spaceflight history for its role in ending the infamous Starliner saga. The Crew-9 team may have arrived in September on a spacecraft with room for the two astronauts who crewed the doomed Boeing Starliner to hitch a ride home. But it was the arrival of the Crew-10 astronauts at the space station that set the stage for Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to make their long-awaited homecoming. Now that the Crew-10 astronaut are soon due to depart the space station more than four months later, here's everything to know about the mission and why it made headlines during the Starliner debacle. Remembering the Boeing Starliner: Look back at mission's biggest moments What was the Crew-10 mission? Astronauts relieve 'stuck' Starliner crew The March 15 arrival of Crew-10 astronauts at the International Space Station made it possible for NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who arrived in June on the doomed Starliner, to finally depart. The mission got off the ground the day prior from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The U.S. space agency had originally been working toward a February liftoff before announcing in December 2024 that the mission had been pushed to late-March to give SpaceX more time to prepare a new Dragon capsule. The launch date was then moved back up to mid-March – most likely due to pressure from President Donald Trump and SpaceX founder Elon Musk – when NASA decided to instead use a "previously flown" Dragon. The Dragon spacecraft docked at the orbital outpost following a 28-hour journey, allowing the crew to exit the vehicle and enter the space station through its Harmony module. Once aboard, the four Crew-10 spacefarers officially greeted the Expedition 72 crew members, including the astronauts who flew aboard the Starliner. What happened with the Boeing Starliner after launch from Florida? Selected for the inaugural crewed flight of the Boeing Starliner, Wilmore and Williams became fixtures of the news cycle when the vehicle they flew to the space station in June 2024 encountered a series of technical issues. NASA and Boeing ultimately decided that the troubled Starliner capsule wasn't safe enough to crew, and would instead undock and return to Earth with them. On Sept. 28, 2024, NASA launched the SpaceX Crew-9 mission as planned, but with one crucial change: Just two astronauts – Nick Hague of NASA and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov – headed to the space station on a Dragon instead of four to leave two empty seats on their vehicle reserved for Wilmore and Williams. NASA opted to keep Williams and Wilmore at the station a few extra months rather than launch an emergency mission to return them to Earth to avoid having the station be understaffed. Williams and Wilmore eventually departed the space station with the Crew-9 team and safely landed March 17 off the Florida coast following the arrival of the Crew-10 mission. When will SpaceX launch Crew-11 astronauts from Kennedy Space Center? Now, the astronauts of the Crew-10 mission are due to return to Earth themselves following the impending arrival of their own replacements. The Crew-11 mission is due to get off the ground no earlier than 12:09 p.m. ET Thursday, July 31, from near Cape Canaveral, Florida, according to NASA. As the name suggests, Crew-11 is NASA and SpaceX's 11th science expedition to the International Space Station. The missions, most of which last about six months, are contracted under NASA's commercial crew program. 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Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams made news as 'stuck' crew of Starliner. Now, he's retiring
Astronaut Butch Wilmore's venture to space aboard the ill-fated Boeing Starliner spacecraft appears to be his last – at least with NASA. NASA has announced that Wilmore is retiring from the U.S. space agency a little more than a year since he and astronaut Suni Williams set out for the International Space Station for what was meant to be a brief orbital stay. Selected for the Starliner's first crewed test flight, Wilmore and Williams were thrust into the worldwide spotlight after the troubled mission stretched on for months due to issues with the spacecraft. Now, after returning to Earth in March, Wilmore is hanging up the spacesuit, NASA announced in an Aug. 6 press release. Of course, retiring from NASA doesn't always mean the end of an astronaut's space traveling days. Peggy Whitson, 65, has famously returned to space on two ventures with a private company known as Axiom Space after her retirement from NASA in 2018. What's next for Wilmore remains to be seen. 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Wilmore said in his own statement that he has been "captivated by the marvels of creation" since he was young, "looking upward with an insatiable curiosity." "This curiosity propelled me into the skies, and eventually to space, where the magnificence of the cosmos mirrored the glory of its creator in ways words can scarcely convey,' Wilmore said in the statement. 'Even as I ventured beyond Earth's limits, I remained attuned to the beauty and significance of the world below, recognizing the same intricate design evident among the stars is also woven into the fabric of life at home.' Wilmore crewed Boeing Starliner with astronaut Suni Williams Wilmore's retirement announcement comes less than five months after he returned from the International Space Station following an unexpectedly lengthy stay. Wilmore, along with NASA astronaut Suni Williams, were the two selected to crew the inaugural human flight of the Boeing Starliner in 2024. 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Launch recap: Thursday morning SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch from Cape Canaveral
Launch recap: Live updates from the Starlink 10-20 mission, which lifted off at 8:29 a.m. August 14 from Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 40. Original story: In this week's already busy launch calendar, the next rocket waiting to soar is a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket set for a tentative Thursday morning liftoff. SpaceX plans to launch the latest batch if its Starlink satellites now no earlier than 8:29 a.m. Aug. 14 from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. SpaceX states it has until 10:47 a.m. if needed. What is Starlink? Your guide to Starlink launches and why they matter so much to SpaceX Upon lift off, the Falcon 9 rocket will travel on a northeast trajectory. No Space Coast sonic booms will be heard -- only the rocket's rumble. Just over eight minutes after liftoff, the rocket's booster will land on the Just Read the Instructions drone ship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. When is the next Florida rocket launch? Is there a launch today? Upcoming NASA, SpaceX, ULA rocket launch schedule at Cape Canaveral Countdown Timer SpaceX Falcon 9 booster lands Update 8:37 a.m.: The Falcon 9 first-stage booster just landed aboard SpaceX's drone ship Just Read the Instructions out on the Atlantic Ocean, completing its 10th mission. SpaceX liftoff! Update 8:29 a.m.: The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket has left the launch pad! SpaceX launch webcast begins Update 8:24 a.m.: SpaceX's launch webcast hosted on X (formerly Twitter) is now posted above, right below the countdown clock. Liftoff is scheduled in less than four minutes from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. SpaceX Falcon 9 launch in Florida Update 8:19 a.m.: We are 10 minutes from this morning's liftoff! The Falcon 9 booster launching this Starlink mission is seeing its 10th mission. It previous saw three other Starlink missions, Crew-9, RRT-1, Firefly Blue Ghost Mission 1, Fram2, SXM-10, and MTG-S1. SpaceX launch countdown timeline Update 8:10 a.m.: Here's a behind-the-scenes rundown of SpaceX's countdown timeline. T-minus: 38 minutes: SpaceX launch director verifies 'go' for propellant load. 35 minutes: Rocket-grade kerosene and first-stage liquid oxygen loading begins. 16 minutes: Second-stage liquid oxygen loading begins. 7 minutes: Falcon 9 begins engine chill prior to launch. 1 minute: Command flight computer begins final prelaunch checks; propellant tank pressurization to flight pressure begins. 45 seconds: SpaceX launch director verifies 'go' for launch. 3 seconds: Engine controller commands engine ignition sequence to start. 0 seconds: Liftoff. SpaceX Falcon 9 fueling now underway in Florida Update 8:00 a.m.: Visual cues indicate Falcon 9 fueling procedures are now underway at Launch Complex 40, though SpaceX has yet to make an official announcement. That means today's Starlink mission is now locked in to lift off at 8:29 a.m. without any countdown delays, or else the launch must be postponed. NASA Artemis II astronauts prepare for a 2026 launch Update 7:56 a.m.: The past week, the crew of the Artemis II mission underwent training at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The SLS rocket continues to be stacked inside the VAB as well. Liftoff of the Artemis II mission, which will see the crew fly around the moon, is set for no earlier than February 2026. SpaceX launch prep underway in Brevard Update 7:50 a.m.: Brevard County Emergency Management officials have activated the agency's launch operations support team ahead of SpaceX's upcoming Falcon 9 launch. Liftoff is still set for 8:29 a.m. New White House Executive Order for space industry Update 7:40 a.m.: Late August 13, it was announced by NASA Interim Administrator, Sean Duffy, that President Trump has signed an Executive Order to allow for competeition within the commercial space industry. This includes more streamlined regulations. The commercial space industry includes big names such as SpaceX and Blue Origin, which are already on major NASA contracts −including landing NASA astronauts on the moon with the Artemis Program. "It is imperative that we build on the far-reaching actions taken by my Administration during my first term to ensure that new space-based industries, space exploration capabilities, and cutting-edge defense systems are pioneered in America rather than by our adversaries," the statement reads. "Ensuring that United States operators can efficiently launch, conduct missions in space, and reenter United States airspace is critical to economic growth, national security, and accomplishing Federal space objectives." Second launch of the day for SpaceX Update 7:29 a.m.: It's been a busy stretch for SpaceX. This morning's launch from Florida is the second in a row for SpaceX. At 1:05 a.m. ET/10:05 p.m. PT SpaceX launched a Starlink mission out of Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. SpaceX reveals new Starship design Update 7:14 a.m.: With another Starship test flight looming in Texas, SpaceX has unveiled the upcoming new Starship design. It is unknown at this time when the new Super Heavy booster will make its debut. Part of the new design is improved grid fins, which work to steer the Super Heavy booster as it lands back at the launch tower. The new grid fins are 50% larger compared to the current design. SpaceX launch in Florida weather Update 6:59 a.m.: The 45th Weather Squadron has predicted a 90% chance of favorable conditions ahead of today's liftoff. The launch of the Starlink 10-20 mission is set for 8:29 a.m. Brooke Edwards is a Space Reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at bedwards@ or on X: @brookeofstars. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Launch recap: Thursday SpaceX Starlink launch from Cape Canaveral Solve the daily Crossword
