{"id":792244,"date":"2024-12-23T18:56:04","date_gmt":"2024-12-23T23:56:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=792244"},"modified":"2024-12-23T18:56:04","modified_gmt":"2024-12-23T23:56:04","slug":"nasa-kennedy-top-24-stories-of-2024-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=792244","title":{"rendered":"NASA Kennedy Top 24 Stories of 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>From sending crew members to the International Space Station to launching a spacecraft to Jupiter\u2019s icy moon Europa to determine if it could support life, 2024 was a busy record setting year for NASA and its partners at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.<\/p>\n<p><strong>JANUARY<\/strong><br \/><strong>First Lunar Lander Takes Flight<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The first flight of NASA\u2019s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative lifted off with Astrobotic\u2019s Peregrine Mission One lunar lander aboard the inaugural launch of United Launch Alliance\u2019s (ULA) Vulcan rocket on Jan. 8 from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida to study the lunar exosphere, thermal properties, and magnetic fields on the Moon\u2019s surface. This mission became the first U.S. commercial lander to launch to the lunar surface; however, the spacecraft experienced a propulsion issue that prevented the landing on the Moon.<\/p>\n<p><strong>JANUARY<\/strong><br \/><strong>Third Private Mission to Space<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>At the world\u2019s premier multi-user spaceport, the four-person crew of Axiom Mission 3 became the third private astronaut mission to launch to the International Space Station on Jan. 18 from Launch Complex 39A. The crew completed more than 30 research experiments developed for microgravity in collaboration with organizations across the globe.<\/p>\n<p><strong>JANUARY<\/strong><br \/><strong>Food and Supplies Delivered to the International Space Station<\/strong> <\/p>\n<p>Northrop Grumman\u2019s Cygnus spacecraft launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket for the first time on Jan. 30 from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The company\u2019s 20th resupply mission brought 8,200 pounds of science investigations, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\">\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Science Launching to Space Station on NASA&#039;s 20th Northrop Grumman Mission\" width=\"1110\" height=\"624\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/0VwhSBcoXE4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Commercial Resupply Mission to space station<br \/>YouTube<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>FEBRUARY<\/strong><br \/><strong>Understanding Earth\u2019s Climate<\/strong><\/p>\n<p> NASA\u2019s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) is a mission to observe and explore what makes Earth so different from every other planet we study \u2013 life itself. Three-quarters of our home planet is covered by water, and PACE\u2019s advanced instruments provide new ways to study life at the ocean\u2019s surface by measuring the abundances and distributions of microscopic algae known as phytoplankton. The observations are helping researchers better monitor ocean health, air quality, and climate change. PACE launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station\u2019s Space Launch Complex 40 on Feb. 8.<\/p>\n<p><strong>FEBRUARY<\/strong><br \/><strong>Intuitive Machines First Mission Lands on Moon<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>NASA\u2019s CLPS initiative with Intuitive Machines\u2019 made history when the Nova C-class lunar lander launched from Kennedy and later arrived on the Moon\u2019s South Pole region known as Malapert A on Feb. 22.<\/p>\n<p><strong>FEBRUARY <\/strong><br \/><strong>Artemis II Practice Procedures<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Artemis II\u00a0NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, NASA\u2019s Exploration Ground System\u2019s Landing and Recovery Team, and partners from the Department of Defense participated in the Underway Recovery Test 11 off the coast of San Diego. The operation mimicked procedures that will be used to recover the Artemis II crew and the Orion spacecraft after their return from the Moon, with the crew exiting a mockup of Orion into a boat and then ferried to a U.S. Navy ship.<\/p>\n<p><strong>MARCH<\/strong><br \/><strong>NASA\u2019s SpaceX Crew-8 Quartet Launches to Space Station<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>NASA astronauts Matt Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin launched March 3 from Kennedy\u2019s Launch Complex 39A on an eight-month science mission aboard the International Space Station.<\/p>\n<p><strong>MARCH<\/strong><br \/><strong>NASA\u2019s SpaceX 30th Commercial Resupply Mission<\/strong> <\/p>\n<p>Research and technology demonstrations, along with food and other supplies launched to the International Space Station aboard NASA\u2019s SpaceX commercial resupply mission. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying a Dragon spacecraft launched March 21 from Space Launch Complex 40.<\/p>\n<p><strong>APRIL<\/strong><br \/><strong>Solar Eclipse Captivates Nation<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A total solar eclipse moved across North America, passing over Mexico, United States, and Canada on April 8. Kennedy provided coverage on air and online from every city\u2019s point of totality for viewers at home.<\/p>\n<p><strong>MAY<\/strong><br \/><strong>NASA Welcomes New Commercial Resupply Spacecraft<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Sierra Space\u2019s Dream Chaser arrived at Kennedy on May 18 following testing at the agency\u2019s Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio. The uncrewed spaceplane is scheduled to launch aboard a ULA Vulcan rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in 2025, delivering thousands of pounds of cargo to the orbiting laboratory.<\/p>\n<p><strong>MAY <\/strong><br \/><strong>Historic Marker Honors Original Headquarters Location<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Officials unveiled a large bronze historical plaque on May 28 to mark the location of NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center\u2019s original headquarters building just west of the current Central Campus Headquarters Building on NASA Parkway.<\/p>\n<p><strong>JUNE<\/strong> <br \/><strong>NASA\u2019s Boeing Crew Flight Test Launches First Crew<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams became the first crew to fly aboard Boeing\u2019s Starliner spacecraft. Starliner launched on June 6 atop ULA\u2019s Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 as part of NASA\u2019s Boeing Crew Flight Test to the International Space Station.<\/p>\n<p><strong>JUNE<\/strong><br \/><strong>Final NASA, NOAA GOES-R Launch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>NOAA\u2019s (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) GOES-U (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite U) launched June 25 from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy. The GOES-U satellite is the last of NOAA\u2019s GOES-R Series, and it carries seven instruments that collect advanced imagery and atmospheric measurements, provide real-time mapping of lightning activity, and detect approaching space weather hazards.<\/p>\n<p><strong>JULY<\/strong><br \/><strong>Barge Carries Artemis II Core Stage to Kennedy<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>NASA\u2019s SLS (Space Launch System) Moon rocket that will power humans to the Moon arrived July 24 at Kennedy. NASA\u2019s Pegasus barge ferried the 212-foot-tall core stage from NASA\u2019s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. The core stage remains at the Vehicle Assembly Building awaiting integration ahead of the Artemis II launch.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\">\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"NASA\u2019s Rocket On Roll: Artemis II Core Stage Arrives at Vehicle Assembly Building\" width=\"1110\" height=\"624\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/B00XktskpSg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Artemis II core state arrives at Kennedy<br \/>YouTube<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>AUGUST<\/strong><br \/><strong>NASA, Northrop Grumman Launch Supplies to Space Station<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>NASA science investigations, supplies, and equipment launched on Aug. 24 aboard a Cygnus spacecraft from Space Launch Complex 40 as part of Northrop Grumman\u2019s 21st commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station.<\/p>\n<p><strong>SEPTEMBER<\/strong><br \/><strong>NASA\u2019s Boeing Crew Flight Test Spacecraft Safely Lands<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>An uncrewed Boeing Starliner spacecraft undocked from the space station and landed on Sept. 7 at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico, completing a three-month flight test to the orbiting laboratory.<\/p>\n<p><strong>SEPTEMBER<\/strong><br \/><strong>NASA\u2019s SpaceX Crew-9 Duo Heads to Space<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov launched to the International Space aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on Sept. 28 for a roughly five-month mission as part of NASA\u2019s SpaceX Crew-9 mission. The launch was the first crewed mission from Space Launch Complex 40. Hague, Gorbunov, along with NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, are slated to return to Earth in early 2025.<\/p>\n<p><strong>OCTOBER<\/strong><br \/><strong>Mobile Launcher on the Move<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>NASA\u2019s mobile launcher 1 made the 4.2-mile trek on Oct. 4 from Launch Complex 39B to the Vehicle Assembly Building in preparation for stacking the Artemis II Moon rocket. The mobile launcher had been at the launch pad since August 2023 undergoing integrated testing and upgrades. NASA\u2019s\u00a0crawler-transporter 2\u00a0also achieved a milestone reaching 2,500 miles traveled since its construction in 1965.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\">\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Mobile Launcher 1 Rolls Back to the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA&#039;s Kennedy Space Center\" width=\"1110\" height=\"624\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/MMGPufCfOS0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mobile launcher rolls back to Vehicle Assembly Building<br \/>YouTube<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>OCTOBER<\/strong><br \/><strong>Jupiter Moon Mission Takes Flight<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>NASA\u2019s Europa Clipper is the agency\u2019s first mission to study Jupiter\u2019s icy moon Europa to see if the ocean beneath the moon\u2019s crust has the ingredients to support life. The spacecraft launched Oct. 16 aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A. The Europa Clipper spacecraft will reach Europa in 2030.<\/p>\n<p><strong>OCTOBER<\/strong><br \/><strong>NASA\u2019s SpaceX Crew-8 Back on Earth<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>NASA\u2019s SpaceX Crew-8 astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, splashed down in their SpaceX Dragon spacecraft off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, on Oct. 25, completing a seven-month science mission aboard the International Space Station.<\/p>\n<p><strong>NOVEMBER<\/strong><br \/><strong>New Science and Supplies Sent to Space Station<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket carrying more than 6,000 pounds of supplies launched Nov. 4, from Launch Complex 39A bound for the space station. The commercial resupply mission delivered essential supplies and supports dozens of research experiments during Expedition 72.<\/p>\n<p><strong>NOVEMBER<\/strong><br \/><strong>NASA\u2019s Artemis II Booster Segments Take Shape<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Engineers and technicians with the Exploration Ground Systems Program began stacking on Nov. 20, the first segment of the Artemis II SLS solid rocket boosters onto mobile launcher 1 inside the Vehicle Assembly Building.<\/p>\n<p><strong>DECEMBER<\/strong><br \/><strong>Record-Setting Year of Launches<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>More than 80 launches roared into space from Kennedy and Cape Canaveral in 2024, and 2025 promises to bring even more government and commercial missions to the Eastern Range.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/nasa-kennedy-top-24-stories-of-2024\/?rand=772197\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From sending crew members to the International Space Station to launching a spacecraft to Jupiter\u2019s icy moon Europa to determine if it could support life, 2024 was a busy record&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":791967,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-792244","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-station"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/792244","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=792244"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/792244\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/791967"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=792244"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=792244"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=792244"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}