Latest news with #JimmyTaeger
Time of India
2 days ago
- Climate
- Time of India
Weather still a factor: Last call on Shubhanshu Shukla's Axiom-4 launch early today
CAPE CANAVERAL (FLORIDA): The rescheduled launch of Shubhanshu Shukla-piloted Axiom-4 mission remained unchanged at 5.30pm IST on Wednesday after a 'weather call' taken at Kennedy Space Centre on Tuesday (8pm IST). However, the weather continues to be a key variable as the stakeholders will take a final call after the 'L-8 hour weather briefing ', scheduled around midnight in US (around 10am IST). At the mission readiness review briefing, Jimmy Taeger, launch weather officer with 45th Weather Squadron of US Space Force, said conditions across central Florida is being shaped by a high-pressure system to the southeast. The system is expected to move north in the coming days, which could shift the winds and bring in scattered showers. While wind conditions are projected to improve mid-week, forecasters are keeping a close eye on the risk of passing showers, especially as launch windows approach. "Though winds are likely to improve, Wednesday looks better, and Thursday even better. The one thing we are going to be watching closely is the possibility of showers moving into the area," Taeger said. Liquid oxygen leak detected during fire test on Falcon-9 William Gerstenmaier, SpaceX vice-president, build and flight reliability, stressed on the company's continued focus on safety and precision, noting that "space flight is really hard, and we're learning every day". During a static fire test of the Falcon-9, SpaceX engineers discovered a liquid oxygen leak that had initially gone undetected during the booster's post-flight refurbishment. "We discovered that we had not fully repaired the booster ... we're installing a purge that will essentially mitigate the leak if it continues," he said. In addition, a thrust vector control issue with engine five was also identified. The affected components have since been replaced.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Climate
- Time of India
Axiom-4 Mission: From weather risks to ISRO's spending, all you need to know before Shubhanshu Shukla reaches ISS
As SpaceX prepares to launch the Ax-4 mission on June 11, weather and safety remain top priorities for all partners involved, Axiom Space , SpaceX, and NASA. At a briefing on Monday, June 9, a Launch Weather Officer Jimmy Taeger with the US Space Force, explained that Central Florida's weather is being affected by a high-pressure system from the southeast. This system is expected to move north, changing the wind patterns and possibly causing isolated showers. Taeger said the weather risk for Tuesday, June 10, had gone down slightly, but it might go up again for Wednesday. 'For June 11, there's about a 20% chance of weather rules being broken. For the backup day, June 12, it's a bit higher, around 25%,' he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 'It Runs While I Sleep' – The AI Side Hustle Sweeping United Kingdom TApp Read Now Undo Wind conditions are expected to get better mid-week, but passing showers could still be a problem during the launch window. 'Even though winds are improving, the one thing we're watching closely is the chance of showers,' he added. Live Events Axiom and SpaceX have confirmed they are targeting an 8 am Eastern Time (5:30 pm IST) launch on June 11. What technical issues did SpaceX face? SpaceX also had to deal with some technical problems found during pre-launch checks. SpaceX's Vice President William Gerstenmaier of Build and Flight Reliability, said a liquid oxygen leak was discovered during a test of the Falcon-9 rocket. This leak had not been spotted earlier after the rocket's last mission for Starlink. To fix the issue, engineers installed a system to prevent the leak from affecting the mission. 'We discovered the booster hadn't been fully repaired. We're now installing a purge to handle the leak,' he explained. There was also a problem with the thrust vector control system on one of the engines, which has now been fixed. All repairs are expected to be completed by the evening before launch. Gerstenmaier added that a recent full-scale launch day simulation, known as a 'dry dress rehearsal', went smoothly. What's new with the Dragon capsule? This mission will be the first flight for the new version of the Dragon spacecraft. Gerstenmaier said the capsule has received several updates, including better food processing and storage, improved propulsion components, and a redesigned system for securing the crew's stairs. 'This isn't just the same old Dragon,' he said. 'We've made improvements to keep it flying safely.' A busy year for SpaceX The Ax-4 launch will also be the second flight for the Falcon-9 booster being used. Gerstenmaier said, 'I can't think of a better way for this capsule to enter the fleet than by flying this international crew.' So far in 2025, SpaceX has already launched three Dragon missions, two of which carried crew, within just 38 days. He added, 'While we were doing those, our teams were also preparing for Axiom-4.' The Department of Space has invested approximately Rs 413 crore in the Ax-4 mission, which will send Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station, marking him as the first Indian to reach the ISS.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Climate
- The Hindu
Axiom-4 mission: All eyes on weather conditions as agencies target June 11 launch
Even as the launch of Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla's mission to the International Space Station (ISS) has once again been postponed, agencies associated with launch activities are closely monitoring the weather conditions at Florida in the USA. The Axiom-4 mission (AX-4) to the ISS, which was scheduled on June 10 at 8.22 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) from Launch Complex 39A at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Kennedy Space Center in Florida, was postponed to June 11 due to weather conditions. At the Ax-4 pre-launch press conference held on June 9 (June 10 in India), following the Launch Readiness Review (LRR), which evaluates the Falcon 9 and Dragon spacecraft, mission hardware, and readiness for launch, Jimmy Taeger, Launch Weather Officer, 45th Weather Squadron, U.S. Space Force spoke about the weather forecast over Florida. He said that there was surface high pressure to the south east of central Florida, and what it does is it typically produces south west flow across the area. 'Now over the next couple of days, the surface high pressure is going to move further towards the north and that is going to switch our primary flow towards the south east. South east flow does tend to create some more isolated scattered showers to thunder showers in the morning time,' he said. He added that even though the Probability of Violation (POV) was lower for the initial attempt (June 10), for the next attempt on Wednesday (June 11) the POV does increase to 20%. 'And as we get to Thursday (June 12), the backup opportunity POV increases a little bit more to about 25%. So though it is on the lower end, there does look like there could be a possibility of isolated scattered thunderstorms near the area at the launch time. But for the ascent corridor even though the winds are pretty strong right now, it does look like winds are going to be improving over the next couple of days. As we get to Wednesday, winds will be even better, and Thursday, even better than Wednesday,' he added. Mr. Taeger said that a close eye would be kept on possible showers and thunderstorms along the ascent corridor. When asked if there was a launch window for the AX-4 mission, Dana Weigel, manager, International Space Station Program, NASA said that there are launch opportunities till June 30. 'In terms of launch opportunities for the mission, we have launch opportunities all the way through June 30, and then the Russian heavy progress cargo vehicle will be undocking, and a new one will be coming up and docking at the ISS. So, we will have a brief cut-off for that, and a brief cut-off for high Solar Beta. Then we pick up again like in the middle of July. So, plenty of opportunities to fly the vehicle,' Ms. Weigel said.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Climate
- Time of India
Ax-4: All eyes on weather, SpaceX fixing minor rocket snags
TITUSVILLE: As prepares for the Ax-4 mission on the revised launch date of June 11, launch weather remains a key variable with all partners — Axiom Space , SpaceX and Nasa — continuously monitoring conditions. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now At the mission readiness review briefing Monday (June 9) evening, Jimmy Taeger, Launch Weather Officer with the 45th Weather Squadron of the US Space Force, said conditions across Central Florida are currently influenced by a surface high-pressure system to the southeast. This system is expected to drift northward over the coming days, changing wind patterns and raising the likelihood of isolated showers. 'The 'probability violation' was lowered for tomorrow's (June 10) initial attempt,' Taeger said, referring to weather constraints that could force a scrub. 'But for the next attempt on Wednesday (June 11), the 'probability violation' does increase a bit—about 20%. The backup opportunity (June 12) has a slightly higher chance, around 25%.' While wind conditions are projected to improve mid-week, forecasters are keeping a close eye on the risk of passing showers, especially as launch windows approach. 'Even though winds are going to be improving—Wednesday looks better, and Thursday even better than Wednesday—the one thing we are going to be watching closely is the possibility of showers moving into the area,' Taeger added. As of late Monday, Axiom and SpaceX said they are targeting a 8am Eastern Time (5.30pm IST) launch on June 11. Snags on Falcon being fixed A SpaceX representative said the firm has resolved a set of technical snags uncovered during pre-launch checks for the Ax-4 mission. William Gerstenmaier, SpaceX Vice President of Build and Flight Reliability, stressed on the company's continued focus on safety and precision, noting that 'space flight is really hard, and we're learning every day.' Tired of too many ads? go ad free now During a static fire test of the Falcon-9, SpaceX engineers discovered a liquid oxygen (LOX) leak that had initially gone undetected during the booster's post-flight refurbishment. The issue dated back to the booster's previous Starlink mission. 'We discovered that we had not fully repaired the booster… we're installing a purge that will essentially mitigate the leak if it continues,' he said. In addition, a thrust vector control issue with engine five was also identified. The affected components have since been replaced, and all work is expected to be completed by the evening before launch. 'The dry dress rehearsal was very successful,' Gerstenmaier noted, referring to the full-scale simulation of launch day activities conducted by the crew and support teams. New, improved dragon Speaking about the new Dragon capsule , he said it comes with a set of enhancements over previous versions. These include, refined food processing and storage systems; a reworked stair lash retention mechanism and upgraded propulsion components to improve reliability and reusability. 'So this isn't just the same Dragon. We've actually made some improvements and made it better to continue flying safely,' he said. The Ax-4 launch marks the debut flight of this particular Dragon spacecraft and the second flight for the Falcon-9 booster being used. 'I can't think of a better way for this capsule to enter the fleet than by flying this international crew,' Gerstenmaier said. So far in 2025, SpaceX has completed three Dragon missions—two of which were crewed—within a tight 38-day window. 'While we were working on those, the teams were also preparing for Axiom-4,' Gerstenmaier said, emphasising the company's expanding launch tempo.
