The Secret Base of the Rebel Black Dot Society: Launch America

Showing posts with label Launch America. Show all posts

Monday, August 17, 2026

The Stars My Destination: Crew-12 Launch

Better Late than Never | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

The Space Age
13 February 2026: Commander Jessica Meir (N.A.S.A.), Pilot Jack Hathaway (N.A.S.A.), Mission Specialist Sophie Adenot (E.S.A.), & Mission Specialist Andrey Fedyaev (Roscosmos) lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's SLC-40 aboard the Crew Dragon Freedom (C212) atop a Falcon 9 rocket. The quartet docked the Freedom with the International Space Station for an intended seven-month mission to the orbital laboratory.

Meir is a veteran of a previous spaceflight (Soyuz MS-15 for Expeditions 61 & 62) & Fedyaev is a veteran of a previous spaceflight (Crew-6 for Expeditions 68 & 69); Hathaway & Adenot are rookies. Crew-12 served as members of I.S.S. Expedition 74 & are serving as members of Expedition 75.

Commentary: I chose this photograph of the crew because of Jack Hathaway's awesome moustache, which is a latter development & not present in many of the pre-flight promotional photos.

Veteran cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev was assigned to Crew-12 until December 2025, when he was replaced by Fedyaev after being accused to spying on SpaceX, violating the International Traffic in Arms Regulations.

Commentary: Just the Russians being Russian; so reliably treacherous.

Crew-12 is the fifth flight of the Freedom C212.

Bonus! Song o' the Day: Crew-12 & the Freedom
The Aquabats!, "Go Humans, Go!" from Finally! (Space Cadet Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: As far as Launch America & the Commercial Crew Program are concerned, "We're in now now."

I am absolutely charmed by the photograph below, of the Crew Dragon Freedom stop its Falcon 9 rocket with Artemis II, the Orion Integrity atop its S.L.S. rocket, in the background, taken on 11 February 2026.

Monday, August 3, 2026

The Stars My Destination: Crew-11

Better Late than Never | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

The Space Age
1 August 2025-15 January 2026: Commander Zena Cardman (N.A.S.A.), Pilot Mike Fincke (N.A.S.A.), Mission Specialist Kimiya Yui (J.A.X.A.), & Mission Specialist Oleg Platonov (Roscosmos) lifted off from Florida's Kennedy Space Center's LC-39A aboard the Crew Dragon Endeavour (C206) atop a Falcon 9 rocket. The quartet docked with the International Space Station for an intended six-month mission to the orbital laboratory.

Approximately one month before Crew-11's intended return, Fincke (age fifty-eight) suffered a medical emergency that left him unable to speak for twenty minutes. This prompted an early return from the I.S.S. After one hundred sixty-six days on orbit, the Endeavour splashed down in the Pacific Ocean & was recovered by the M.V. Shannon.

Fincke was a veteran of three previous spaceflights (Soyuz TMA-4 for Expedition 9, Soyuz TMA-13 for Expedition 18, & S.T.S.-134) & Yui was a veteran of a previous spaceflight (Soyuz TMA-17M for Expeditions 44 & 45); Cardman & Platonov were rookies. Crew-11 served as members of I.S.S. Expeditions 73 & 74.

Crew-11 was the sixth flight of the Endeavour C206.

Bonus! Song o' the Day: Crew-11 & the Endeavour
Suburban Legends, "Emergency" from Day Job (Space Cadet Mike Papa Whiskey)

Monday, July 27, 2026

The Stars My Destination: Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4)

Better Late than Never | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

The Space Age
25 June-15 July 2025: Commander Peggy Whitson (Axiom Space), Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla (Indian Space Research Organization), Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski (European Space Agency), & Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu (Hungarian Space Research Office) lifted off from Florida's Kennedy Space Center's LC-39A aboard the Crew Dragon Grace (C213) atop a Falcon 9 rocket. The Grace spent eighteen days docked to the International Space Station during Expedition 73, splashed down in the Pacific, & was recovered by the M.V. Shannon.

Whitson was a N.A.S.A. astronaut & a veteran of four previous spaceflights (STS-111 [launch]/STS-113 [landing] for Expedition 5; Soyuz TMA-11 for Expedition 16; Soyuz MS-03 [launch]/Soyuz MS-04 [landing] for Expeditions 50, 51, & 52; & Ax-2); Shukla, Uznański-Wiśniewski, & Kapu were rookies, & each the first Indian, Polish, & Hungarian astronaut since the Soviet Union's old Interkosmos program.

Ax-4 was the first flight of the Grace.

Bonus! Song o' the Day: Ax-4 & the Grace
A. R. Rahman, Sukhvinder Singh, Tanvi Shah, & Mahalakshmi Iyer, "Jai Ho" from Slumdog Millionaire: Music from the Motion Picture (Space Cadet Mike Papa Whiskey)

Monday, July 13, 2026

The Stars My Destination: Fram2

Better Late than Never | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

The Space Age
1-4 April 2025: Mission Commander Chun Wang, Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen, Pilot Rabea Rogge, & Mission Specialist Eric Philips lifted off from Florida's Kennedy Space Center's LC-39A aboard the Crew Dragon Resilience (C207) atop a Falcon 9 rocket. Fram2 was the first crewed mission launched into a polar orbit; the majority of orbits are more or less equatorial. The Resilience was equipped with the panoramic cupola that had first flown on Inspiration4 (2021).

After approximately fifty-five orbits, the Resilience splashed down in the Pacific & was recovered by the M.V. Shannon.

Wang, Mikkelsen, Rogge, & Philips were all rookies.

Fram2 was the fourth flight of the Resilience; three of those four flights were private, & did not visit the International Space Station.

Bonus! Song o' the Day: Fram2 & the Resilience
Dance Hall Crashers, "North Pole" from the The Old Record (1989-1992) compilation (Space Cadet Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: Fram2 was the namesake of the Fram, the ship Fridtjof Nansen had built for his Arctic explorations & which later carried Roald Amundsen's South Pole-conquering expedition to Antarctica.

Monday, July 6, 2026

The Stars My Destination: Crew-10

Better Late than Never | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

The Space Age
14 March-9 August 2025: Commander Anne McClain (N.A.S.A.), Pilot Nichole Ayers (N.A.S.A.), Mission Specialist Takuya Onishi (J.A.X.A.), & Mission Specialist Kirill Peskov (Roscosmos) lifted off from Florida's Kennedy Space Center's LC-39A aboard the Crew Dragon Endurance (C210) atop a Falcon 9 rocket. The quartet docked with the International Space Station for an intended five-month mission to the orbital laboratory.

After one hundred forty-seven days on orbit, the Endurance splashed down in the Pacific Ocean & was recovered by the M.V. Shannon.

McClain was a veteran of a previous spaceflight (Soyuz MS-11 for Expeditions 58 & 59); Ayers, Onishi, & Peskov were rookies. Crew-10 served as served as part of International Space Station Expeditions 72 & 73.

Crew-10 was the fourth flight of the Endurance C210.

Bonus! Song o' the Day: Crew-10 & the Endurance
Fountains of Wayne, "Red Dragon Tattoo" from Utopia Parkway (Space Cadet Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Wayback Machine Tour of Launch America
2020
Demo-2 Launch
Demo-2 Splashdown
Crew-1 Launch
2021
Crew-1 Relocation
Crew-2 Launch
Crew-1 Splashdown
Inspiration4 Launch & Splashdown
Crew-2 Splashdown
Crew-3 Launch
2022
Ax-1 Launch & Splashdown
Crew-4 Launch
Crew-3 Splashdown
Crew-5 Launch
Crew-4 Splashdown
2023
Crew-6 Scrub
Crew-6 Launch
Crew-5 Splashdown
Ax-2 Launch & Splashdown
Crew-7 Launch
Crew-6 Splashdown
2024
Ax-3 Launch & Splashdown
Crew-7 Splashdown
Crew-8 Launch & Splashdown
Boe-C.F.T. Launch & Landing
Polaris Dawn Launch & Splashdown
Crew-9 Launch & Splashdown

Godspeed & welcome back to the good Earth, Crew-10!

Monday, June 29, 2026

The Stars My Destination: Crew-9

Better Late than Never | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

The Space Age
28 September 2024-18 March 2025: Commander Nick Hague (N.A.S.A.) & Mission Specialist Aleksandr Gorbunov (Roscosmos) lifted off from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's SLC-40 aboard the Crew Dragon Freedom (C212) atop a Falcon 9 rocket. The duo docked with the International Space Station for a six-month mission to the orbital laboratory.

Former Boe-C.F.T. astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore (N.A.S.A.) & Suni Williams (N.A.S.A.), already aboard the I.S.S., joined Crew-9 & transferred their seats to the Freedom from Crew-8's Crew Dragon Endeavour. After one hundred seventy-one days on orbit, the Freedom splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean & was recovered by the M.V. Megan.

Hague was a veteran of two previous spaceflights (the Soyuz MS-10 suborbital launch abort & Soyuz MS-12 for Expeditions 59 & 60); Gorbunov was a rookie. Wilmore & Williams served as part of International Space Station Expeditions 71 & 72; Hague & Gorbunov served as part of Expedition 72.

Crew-9 was the fourth flight of the Freedom C212.

The original Crew-9 consisted of Commander Zena Cardman (N.A.S.A.), Pilot Nick Hague (N.A.S.A.), Mission Specialist Stephanie Wilson (N.A.S.A.), & M.S. Aleksandr Gorbunov (Roscosmos). Cardman was reassigned to Crew-11; Wilson has not yet been assigned to a replacement spaceflight.

Bonus! Song o' the Day: Crew-9 & the Freedom
Less Than Jake, "Nine-One-One to Anyone" from B is for B-Sides (Space Cadet Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Wayback Machine Tour of Launch America
2020
Demo-2 Launch
Demo-2 Splashdown
Crew-1 Launch
2021
Crew-1 Relocation
Crew-2 Launch
Crew-1 Splashdown
Inspiration4 Launch & Splashdown
Crew-2 Splashdown
Crew-3 Launch
2022
Ax-1 Launch & Splashdown
Crew-4 Launch
Crew-3 Splashdown
Crew-5 Launch
Crew-4 Splashdown
2023
Crew-6 Scrub
Crew-6 Launch
Crew-5 Splashdown
Ax-2 Launch & Splashdown
Crew-7 Launch
Crew-6 Splashdown
2024
Ax-3 Launch & Splashdown
Crew-7 Splashdown
Crew-8 Launch & Splashdown
Boe-C.F.T. Launch & Landing
Polaris Dawn Launch & Splashdown

Godspeed & welcome back to the good Earth, Crew-9!

Monday, June 22, 2026

The Stars My Destination: Polaris Dawn

Better Late than Never | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

The Space Age
10-15 September 2024: Commander Jared Isaacman, Pilot Scott Poteet, Mission Specialist Sarah Gillis (SpaceX), & Mission Specialist Anna Menon (SpaceX) lifted off from Florida's Kennedy Space Center's LC-39A aboard the Crew Dragon Resilience (C207) atop a Falcon 9 rocket. The Resilience surpassed Gemini XI's (1966) record for the highest orbit of Earth (surpassed only by the Apollo & now Artemis lunar missions). Isaacman & Gillis conducted stand-up E.V.A., the first spacewalks for a private mission. After seventy-five orbits, the Resilience splashed down in the Atlantic & was recovered by the M.V. Shannon.

Isaacman was a veteran of a previous private spaceflight (Inspiration4); Poteet, Gillis, & Menon were rookies. As of this writing, Isaacman is the Administrator of N.A.S.A., Gillis is a Senior Advisor to the N.A.S.A. Administator, & Menon is an astronaut candidate (Astronaut Group 24, "The Platypi").

Polaris Dawn was the third flight of the Resilience.

Bonus! Song o' the Day: Polaris Dawn & the Resilience
The Specials, "(Dawning of a) New Era" from The Specials (Space Cadet Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: The mission patch is an exaggeration. Neither Isaacman nor Gillis fully exited the Resilience & floated in space like Ed White during Gemini IV (1965). Below is an artist's rendering of how the stand-up spacewalks would have looked.

The Wayback Machine Tour of Launch America
2020
Demo-2 Launch
Demo-2 Splashdown
Crew-1 Launch
2021
Crew-1 Relocation
Crew-2 Launch
Crew-1 Splashdown
Inspiration4 Launch & Splashdown
Crew-2 Splashdown
Crew-3 Launch
2022
Ax-1 Launch & Splashdown
Crew-4 Launch
Crew-3 Splashdown
Crew-5 Launch
Crew-4 Splashdown
2023
Crew-6 Scrub
Crew-6 Launch
Crew-5 Splashdown
Ax-2 Launch & Splashdown
Crew-7 Launch
Crew-6 Splashdown
2024
Ax-3 Launch & Splashdown
Crew-7 Splashdown
Crew-8 Launch & Splashdown
Boe-C.F.T. Launch & Landing

Godspeed & welcome back to the good Earth, Polaris Dawn!

Monday, June 15, 2026

The Stars My Destination: Boeing Crew Flight Test

Better Late than Never | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

The Space Age
5 June-6 September 2024: Commander Barry "Butch" Wilmore (N.A.S.A.) & Pilot Suni Williams (N.A.S.A.) lifted off from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's SLC-41 aboard the Starliner Calypso (Spacecraft 3) atop an Atlas V rocket. The Calypso made it to orbit without incident. After dangerous thruster failures during the approach to the International Space Station, the duo docked for an intended week-long mission. After pouring over data & the ground testing of Starliner components, N.A.S.A. judged it too risky to return the crew to Earth aboard the Calypso; Wilmore & Williams were transferred to long-duration crew aboad the I.S.S. with the Crew Dragon Endeavour (C206) as their emergency lifeboat.

After ninety-three days on orbit, the Calypso returned uncrewed & landed at the White Sands Space Harbor.

Wilmore was a veteran of two previous spaceflights (S.T.S.-129 & Soyuz TMA-14M for Expeditions 41 & 42); Williams was also a veteran of two previous spaceflights (S.T.S.-116 [launch]/S.T.S.-117 [landing] for Expeditions 14 & 15 & Soyuz TMA-05M for Expeditions 32 & 33).

Boe-C.F.T. was the second flight of the Calypso.

A February 2026 report classified Boe-C.F.T. as a Type A mishap, the most serious category of mission failure. The report was especially critical of decision-making & leadership within both N.A.S.A. & Boeing. The next Boeing Starliner mission, Starliner-1, will be an uncrewed cargo flight, the third uncrewed flight after Boeing Orbital Flight Test (Boe-O.F.T., 2019) & Boe-O.F.T.-2 (2022). By contrast, the SpaceX Crew Dragon conducted only a single successful uncrewed test flight (Demo-1, 2019).

Bonus! Song o' the Day: Boe-C.F.T. & the Calypso
Robert Preston, "Ya Got Trouble" from The Music Man: Original Soundtrack (Space Cadet Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Wayback Machine Tour of Launch America
2020
Demo-2 Launch
Demo-2 Splashdown
Crew-1 Launch
2021
Crew-1 Relocation
Crew-2 Launch
Crew-1 Splashdown
Inspiration4 Launch & Splashdown
Crew-2 Splashdown
Crew-3 Launch
2022
Ax-1 Launch & Splashdown
Crew-4 Launch
Crew-3 Splashdown
Crew-5 Launch
Crew-4 Splashdown
2023
Crew-6 Scrub
Crew-6 Launch
Crew-5 Splashdown
Ax-2 Launch & Splashdown
Crew-7 Launch
Crew-6 Splashdown
2024
Ax-3 Launch & Splashdown
Crew-7 Splashdown
Crew-8 Launch & Splashdown

Godspeed, Butch & Suni, & welcome back to the good Earth, Calypso!

Monday, June 8, 2026

The Stars My Destination: Crew-8

Better Late than Never | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

The Space Age
4 March-25 October 2024: Spacecraft Commander Matthew Dominick (N.A.S.A.), Pilot Michael Barratt (N.A.S.A.), Mission Specialist Jeanette Epps (N.A.S.A.), & Mission Specialist Alexander Grebenkin (Roscosmos) lifted off from Florida's Kennedy Space Center's LC-39A aboard the Crew Dragon Endeavour (C206) atop a Falcon 9 rocket. The quartet docked with the International Space Station for an intended six-month mission to the orbital laboratory that was extended due to the problems encountered during the Boeing Crew Flight Test, & then again due to hurricanes in the landing zone.

From not long after the docking of the Starliner Calypso (6 June) until the arrival of Crew-9 duo aboard the Crew Dragon Freedom (29 September), the Endeavour was equipped with two extra seats, to potentially return six astronauts to Earth (the three astronauts/one cosmonaut from Crew-8 & the two astronauts from Boe-C.F.T.). After two hundred thirty-five days on orbit, the Endeavour splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean & was recovered by the M.V. Megan.

Barratt was the veteran of two previous spaceflights (Soyuz TMA-14 for Expeditions 19 & 20 & S.T.S.-133); Dominick, Epps, & Grebenkin were rookies. Crew-8 served as part of International Space Station Expeditions 70, 71, & 72.

Crew-8 was the fifth flight of the Endeavour C206.

Bonus! Song o' the Day: Crew-8 & the Endeavour
They Might Be Giants, "Figure Eight" from Here Come the 123s (Space Cadet Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Wayback Machine Tour of Launch America
2020
Demo-2 Launch
Demo-2 Splashdown
Crew-1 Launch
2021
Crew-1 Relocation
Crew-2 Launch
Crew-1 Splashdown
Inspiration4 Launch & Splashdown
Crew-2 Splashdown
Crew-3 Launch
2022
Ax-1 Launch & Splashdown
Crew-4 Launch
Crew-3 Splashdown
Crew-5 Launch
Crew-4 Splashdown
2023
Crew-6 Scrub
Crew-6 Launch
Crew-5 Splashdown
Ax-2 Launch & Splashdown
Crew-7 Launch
Crew-6 Splashdown
2024
Ax-3 Launch & Splashdown
Crew-7 Splashdown

Godspeed & welcome back to the good Earth, Crew-8!

Monday, June 1, 2026

The Stars My Destination: Crew-7 Splashdown

Better Late than Never | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

The Space Age
12 March 2024: After one hundred ninety-nine days on orbit, the Crew Dragon Endurance splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean & was recovered by M/V Megan, safely returning to Earth the Crew-7 quartet of Jasmin Moghbeli (N.A.S.A.), Andreas Mogensen (E.S.A.), Satoshi Furukawa (J.A.X.A.), & Konstantin Borisov (Roscosmos).

Crew-7 served as part of International Space Station Expedition 69 & Expedition 70.

Bonus! Song o' the Day: Crew-7 & the Endurance
Broken Social Scene, "Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl" from Scot Pilgrim vs. the World: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Space Cadet Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Wayback Machine Tour of Launch America
2020
Demo-2 Launch
Demo-2 Splashdown
Crew-1 Launch
2021
Crew-1 Relocation
Crew-2 Launch
Crew-1 Splashdown
Inspiration4 Launch & Splashdown
Crew-2 Splashdown
Crew-3 Launch
2022
Ax-1 Launch & Splashdown
Crew-4 Launch
Crew-3 Splashdown
Crew-5 Launch
Crew-4 Splashdown
2023
Crew-6 Scrub
Crew-6 Launch
Crew-5 Splashdown
Ax-2 Launch & Splashdown
Crew-7 Launch
Crew-6 Splashdown
2024
Ax-3 Launch & Splashdown

Welcome back to the good Earth, Crew-7!

Monday, May 25, 2026

The Stars My Destination: Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3)

Better Late than Never | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

The Space Age
18 January-9 February 2024: Spacecraft Commander Michael López-Alegría (Axiom Space), Pilot Walter Villadei (Italian Air Force), Mission Specialist Alper Gezeravcı (Turkish Space Agency), & Mission Specialist Marcus Wandt (Swedish National Space Agency/European Space Agency) lifted off from Florida's Kennedy Space Center's LC-39A aboard the Crew Dragon Freedom (Dragon C212) atop a Falcon 9 rocket, spent eighteen days docked to the International Space Station (I.S.S.) during Expedition 70, splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean, & were recovered by the M/V Shannon.

López-Alegría was a N.A.S.A. astronaut & a veteran of five previous spaceflights (S.T.S.-73, S.T.S.-92, S.T.S.-113, Soyuz TMA-9 for Expedition 14, & Axiom Mission 1), Villadei was a veteran of a previous suborbital spaceflight (Galactic 01), & Gezeravcı & Wandt were rookies.

Ax-3 was the third flight of the Freedom.

Bonus! Song o' the Day: Ax-3 & the Freedom
Blue Swede, "Hooked On a Feeling" from the Hooked On a Feeling single (Space Cadet Mike Papa Whiskey)

Monday, May 18, 2026

The Stars My Destination: Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2)

Better Late than Never | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

The Space Age
21-31 May 2023: Spacecraft Commander Peggy Whitson (Axiom), Pilot John Shoffner (private), Mission Specialist Ali Alqarni (Saudi Space Agency), & Mission Specialist Rayyanah Barnawi (Saudi Space Agency) lifted off from Florida's Kennedy Space Center's LC-39A aboard the Crew Dragon Freedom (Dragon C212) atop a Falcon 9 rocket, spent nine days docked to the International Space Station (I.S.S.) during Expedition 69, splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean, & were recovered by the M/V Megan.

Whitson was a N.A.S.A. astronaut & a veteran of three previous spaceflights (STS-111 [launch]/STS-113 [landing] for Expedition 5; Soyuz TMA-11 for Expedition 16; & Soyuz MS-03 [launch]/Soyuz MS-04 [landing] for Expeditions 50, 51, & 52); Shoffner, Alqarni, & Barnawi were rookies. Barnawi is considered the six hundredth (600th) human in space.

Ax-2 was the second flight of the Freedom.

Bonus! Song o' the Day: Ax-2 & the Freedom
Bombskare, "Freedom 35" from The Day the Earth Stood Stupid (Space Cadet Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Wayback Machine Tour of Launch America
2020
Demo-2 Launch
Demo-2 Splashdown
Crew-1 Launch
2021
Crew-1 Relocation
Crew-2 Launch
Crew-1 Splashdown
Inspiration4 Launch & Splashdown
Crew-2 Splashdown
Crew-3 Launch
2022
Ax-1 Launch & Splashdown
Crew-4 Launch
Crew-3 Splashdown
Crew-5 Launch
Crew-4 Splashdown
2023
Crew-6 Scrub
Crew-6 Launch
Crew-5 Splashdown
Crew-7 Launch
Crew-6 Splashdown

Godspeed & welcome back to the good Earth, Ax-2!

Monday, September 4, 2023

The Stars My Destination: Crew-6 Splashdown

The Space Age
In the wee hours of this morning, 4 September 2023, after one hundred eighty-five days on orbit, the Crew Dragon Endeavour splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean & was recovered by M/V Megan, safely returning to Earth the Crew-6 quartet of Stephen Bowen (N.A.S.A.), Woody Hoburg (N.A.S.A.), Sultan Al Neyadi (U.A.E.'s Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre), & Andrey Fedyaev (Roscosmos).

Crew-6 served as part of International Space Station Expedition 68 & Expedition 69.

Bonus! Song o' the Day: Crew-6 & the Endeavour
Matamoska!, "Six Months" from Slacktivist Swing! (Space Cadet Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Wayback Machine Tour of Launch America
2020
Demo-2 Launch
Demo-2 Splashdown
Crew-1 Launch
2021
Crew-1 Relocation
Crew-2 Launch
Crew-1 Splashdown
Inspiration4 Launch & Splashdown
Crew-2 Splashdown
Crew-3 Launch
2022
Ax-1 Launch & Splashdown
Crew-4 Launch
Crew-3 Splashdown
Crew-5 Launch
Crew-4 Splashdown
2023
Crew-6 Scrub
Crew-6 Launch
Crew-5 Splashdown
Crew-7 Launch

Welcome back to the good Earth, Crew-6!

Saturday, August 26, 2023

The Stars My Destination: Crew-7 Launch

The Space Age
In the wee hours of this morning, 26 August 2023, Spacecraft Commander Jasmin Moghbeli (N.A.S.A.), Pilot Andreas Mogensen (E.S.A.), Mission Specialist 1 Satoshi Furukawa (J.A.X.A.), & Mission Specialist 2 Konstantin Borisov (Roscosmos) lifted off from Florida's Kennedy Space Center's LC-39A aboard the Crew Dragon Endurance (Dragon C210) atop a Falcon 9 rocket. The quartet are expected to dock with the International Space Station tomorrow, Sunday, 27 August, to begin their six-month mission to the orbital laboratory.

Furukawa is a veteran of a previous spaceflight (Soyuz TMA-02M & Expeditions 28/29, 2011), as is Mogensen (ascent Soyuz TMA-18M/descent Soyuz TMA-16M & ten days aboard the I.S.S., 2015); Moghbeli & Borisov are rookies.

Crew-7 is the third flight of the Endurance.

Bonus! Space Age Song o' the Day: Crew-7 & the Endurance
They Might Be Giants, "Seven" from Here Comes the 123s (Space Cadet Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary:
"We want cake!
Where's our cake?…"

The Wayback Machine Tour of Launch America
2020
Demo-2 Launch & Demo-2 Splashdown
Crew-1 Launch, Crew-1 Relocation, & Crew-1 Splashdown
2021
Crew-2 Launch & Crew-2 Splashdown
Inspiration4 Launch & Splashdown
Crew-3 Launch & Crew-3 Splashdown
2022
Ax-1 Launch & Splashdown
Crew-4 Launch & Crew-4 Splashdown
Crew-5 Launch & Crew-5 Splashdown
2023
Crew-6 Scrub & Crew-6 Launch

Godspeed, Crew-7!

Sunday, March 12, 2023

The Stars My Destination: Crew-5 Splashdown

The Space Age
Yesterday, 11 March 2023, after one hundred fifty-seven days on orbit, the Crew Dragon Endurance splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico & was recovered by M/V Shannon, safely returning to Earth the Crew-5 quartet of Nicole Mann (N.A.S.A.), Josh Cassada (N.A.S.A.), Koichi Wakata (J.A.X.A.), & Anna Kikina (Roscosmos).

Crew-5 served as part of International Space Station Expedition 68.

Bonus! Song o' the Day: Crew-5 & the Endurance!
The Aquabats!, "Hi-Five City!" from Charge!! Special One-Year Anniversary Edition (Space Cadet Captain Thumbs Up!)

The Wayback Machine Tour of Launch America
2020
Demo-2 Launch & Demo-2 Splashdown
Crew-1 Launch, Crew-1 Relocation, & Crew-1 Splashdown
2021
Crew-2 Launch & Crew-2 Splashdown
Inspiration4 Launch & Splashdown
Crew-3 Launch & Crew-3 Splashdown
2022
Ax-1 Launch & Splashdown
Crew-4 Launch & Crew-4 Splashdown
Crew-5 Launch
2023
Crew-6 Scrub & Crew-6 Launch

Welcome back to the good Earth, Crew-5!

Thursday, March 2, 2023

The Stars My Destination: Crew-6 Launch

The Space Age
In the wee hours of this morning, 2 March 2023, Spacecraft Commander Stephen Bowen (N.A.S.A.), Pilot Woody Hoburg (N.A.S.A.), Mission Specialist 1 Sultan Al Neyadi (Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre [United Arab Emirates]), & Mission Specialist 2 Andrey Fedyaev (Roscosmos) lifted off from Florida's Kennedy Space Center's LC-39A aboard the Crew Dragon Endeavour (Dragon C206) atop a Falcon 9 rocket. The quartet are expected to dock with the International Space Station shortly in the wee hours of tomorrow, 3 March, to begin their six-month mission to the orbital laboratory.

Bowen is a veteran of three previous spaceflights (STS-126, STS-132, & STS-133, making him the only astronaut to fly consecutive Space Shuttle missions), while Hoburg, Al Neyadi, & Fedyaev are rookies.

Crew-6 is the fourth flight of the Endeavour.

Bonus! Song o' the Day: Crew-6 & the Endeavour
Dressy Bessy, "Baby Six String" from Dressy Bessy (Space Cadet Mike Papa Whiskey)