AVL in North America’s Post

NASA is fully committed to lunar exploration through the Artemis program, despite some delays. A significant investment is being made in developing a Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV), resembling a space-age SUV, to assist astronauts in navigating the lunar surface and conducting research. The agency plans to adopt a service model for LTVs, potentially extending their use to other space agencies and commercial operators. Three companies—Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost, and Venturi Astrolab—have been chosen to design the LTV, focusing on durability and mobility in harsh lunar conditions. Advanced features such as autonomous driving and communication are in the works, with deployment anticipated by the Artemis V mission. NASA's strategy includes feasibility studies, demo missions, and ongoing procurement of LTV capabilities until 2039. The LTV will boost astronauts' exploration capabilities, facilitating greater scientific discoveries, even in remote operations. This vehicle is a crucial part of Artemis, paving the way for future lunar and Martian missions. Follow Blueprint Europe for more valuable content! #NASA #BlueprintEurope #Moon #Technology

Intuitive Machines Unveils Moon RACER: Next-Gen Lunar Terrain Vehicle for NASA’s Artemis Program 🌕 Intuitive Machines (NASDAQ: LUNR) has revealed the Moon RACER (Reusable Autonomous Crewed Exploration Rover) lunar terrain vehicle (LTV), a cutting-edge lunar rover designed to support NASA’s Artemis astronauts on the Moon’s surface. With seating for two astronauts, a cargo capacity of 400 kg, and the ability to tow an additional 800 kg, this electric-powered vehicle is optimized for scientific exploration and future Mars missions. ⭐ Highlights of the press: - Developed with input from Apollo moonwalkers, its features of ergonomic controls, simplified seatbelts, and operability from both sides are ideal for astronauts in bulky spacesuits. - Includes autonomous driving, power management, and advanced communication/navigation systems to ensure long-term usability. - Beyond Artemis missions, the Moon RACER will support remote commercial and scientific operations for 10 years under NASA’s CLPS initiative. - Designed to withstand harsh conditions at the Moon’s South Pole and deployable via Intuitive Machines’ Nova-D lunar lander. The rover is currently undergoing astronaut testing at NASA’s Johnson Space Center and field trials in Arizona, in preparation for competing 2025 NASA’s LTV provider contract. Moon RACER was engineered in partnership with Boeing, Michelin, Northrop Grumman, and more. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gaH_s8Dm #SpaceEconomy #SpaceIndustry #SpaceNews #IntuitiveMachines #MoonRover #ArtemisProgram #LunarExploration #SpaceInnovation

Lunar Outpost has announced a partnership with SpaceX, signing a launch and landing services contract to deliver its Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) to the Moon aboard a SpaceX Starship. This collaboration is set to support NASA’s Artemis program, with the LTV playing a critical role in enabling surface mobility for astronauts and establishing vital infrastructure for sustainable lunar operations. Developed under NASA’s Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services (LTVS) contract, the Eagle represents a collaborative effort. It is being built by the Lunar Dawn team, which includes prominent industry partners such as Leidos, MDA Space, Goodyear, and General Motors. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dJ7SQPzp #LunarOutpost #SpaceX #Starship #NASA #LTV #rover #Moon #Artemis #space

🚀 What can we learn about safety from the recent Starliner dilemma? With malfunctioning thrusters and helium leaks in Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, the safe return of astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams from their two-week stay at the International Space Station (ISS) has been significantly delayed. Even with efforts to identify the root causes of the spacecraft's issues and Boeing's attempts to rescue the astronauts, NASA has considered SpaceX’s Dragon as a potential solution. Whether the crew would return with Starliner or SpaceX Dragon, this dilemma has resulted in financial losses for Boeing, increased disagreements between them and NASA, and further damages to their already negative reputation for vehicle safety. One important lesson on safety that can be learned from this is that removing critical safety features for the sake of simplification can have massive consequences. Starliner’s current flight software needs updating because the spacecraft cannot autonomously dock and return to Earth, despite already having this feature for another Starliner vehicle back in 2022. Since both ISS docking ports are occupied, including one by Starliner, SpaceX's Crew-9 mission which could accommodate Wilmore and Williams was significantly delayed to September 24, 2024. If you want to learn more about safety management, check out our website (link in comments) or approach our Head of Safety Management Philipp Hofmann directly. #aerospace #nasa #starliner #safetymanagement #safetyculture

SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission set to launch early Friday. by AFP Staff Writers - Washington (AFP) The SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission, a multiday orbital expedition set to feature the first-ever spacewalk by private citizens, is now scheduled to launch on Friday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. An operations plan released by the agency indicates a four-hour launch window opening at 3:33 am (0733 GMT) on Friday from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, with backup opportunities on Saturday and Sunday. Elon Musk's company has not yet commented on the new launch window. Organized by billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, the Polaris Dawn mission aims to reach a peak altitude of 870 miles (1,400 kilometers) -- the highest for any crewed mission in over half a century, since NASA's Apollo program. The highlight of the mission is set to be the first spacewalk by a four-member crew composed entirely of non-professional astronauts, who will be wearing sleek, newly developed SpaceX extravehicular activity (EVA) suits. The launch was delayed twice last week, initially due to a technical issue with the launch tower and subsequently because of weather constraints affecting the splashdown phase. Complicating matters further, a separate SpaceX Falcon 9 mission lost its first stage booster, which typically performs a precision upright landing on a drone ship. https://lnkd.in/d6qfRnwh

SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission set to launch early Friday The SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission, a multiday orbital expedition set to feature the first-ever spacewalk by private citizens, is now scheduled to launch on Friday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. An operations plan released by the agency indicates a four-hour launch window opening at 3:33 am (0733 GMT) on Friday from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, with backup opportunities on Saturday and Sunday. Elon Musk's company has not yet commented on the new launch window. Organized by billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, the Polaris Dawn mission aims to reach a peak altitude of 870 miles (1,400 kilometers) -- the highest for any crewed mission in over half a century, since NASA's Apollo program. The highlight of the mission is set to be the first spacewalk by a four-member crew composed entirely of non-professional astronauts, who will be wearing sleek, newly developed SpaceX extravehicular activity (EVA) suits. The launch was delayed twice last week, initially due to a technical issue with the launch tower and subsequently because of weather constraints affecting the splashdown phase. Complicating matters further, a separate SpaceX Falcon 9 mission lost its first stage booster, which typically performs a precision upright landing on a drone ship. This incident led to a temporary grounding, since lifted, of the prolific launch vehicle heavily relied upon by NASA and private companies for deploying astronauts and satellites into orbit.

May The Force Be With You! SpaceX achieved a historic milestone in spaceflight on October 13, 2024, when it successfully caught the returning Super Heavy booster of its Starship rocket using massive mechanical arms dubbed "chopsticks" at the launch tower, marking a significant advancement in rocket reusability and bringing the company closer to its goal of interplanetary travel. After stage separation, the 232-foot Super Heavy booster executed a controlled descent back to the launch site, where it was successfully caught by the launch tower's massive mechanical arms, nicknamed "chopsticks," approximately seven minutes after liftoff. This marked the first-ever attempt to catch and recover the Starship booster directly at the launch pad, representing a major leap forward in SpaceX's pursuit of rapid rocket reusability This innovative catching mechanism required precise coordination, with thousands of distinct vehicle and pad criteria needing to be met prior to the catch attempt. The booster decelerated from supersonic speeds before being embraced by the powerful arms, demonstrating SpaceX's engineering prowess in achieving controlled landings of massive rocket components What a fantastic day for the world of science and technology "One step for SpaceX one giant leap for Mankind's space odyssey"

SpaceX Completes Starship's 6th Test Flight: A Step Closer to Reusable Space Travel 🚀🌑 SpaceX has successfully completed the sixth test flight of its Starship rocket, further advancing its ambitious goal of creating a fully reusable transportation system for missions to Earth orbit, the moon, Mars, and beyond. The flight, launched from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Texas, marked another milestone in the development of the Starship spacecraft. Although the test saw a diversion in the booster’s return attempt, with a soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico, the flight demonstrated crucial capabilities, including a successful reentry and engine reignition. This achievement paves the way for future crewed and cargo missions, with Starship set to play a key role in NASA's Artemis III mission to the moon in 2026. #AirNews #SpaceX #Starship #AviationNews #SpaceTravel #ReusableRocket #NASA #ArtemisIII #RocketScience #SpaceInnovation #SpaceExploration #SpaceTech #TexasLaunch #FutureOfSpace

We have a date. The next Starship launch could occur as soon as November 18th. An announcement made on the official SpaceX website comes less than a month after the incredibly successful fifth launch of Starship, that brought us the unreal first-try catch of the Super Heavy Booster by the Starbase Launch Tower. Additional goals for Flight 6 will include stress tests to “expand the envelope”, such as a Raptor engine relight while in space, and a higher Angle-of-Attack reentry trajectory leading to more stress during flap maneuvering. Regarding the HLS vehicle for Artemis missions, a recent interview with the Human Landing System coordinator at NASA, Dr. Kent Chojnacki, published on November 1 on SpaceFlightNow, highlighted the company is moving forward on the project. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ddN5mzmK #Starship #HLS #SpaceX #NASA #Artemis #Starbase #Texas #ElonMusk #SpaceExploration