#Commercial Crew Program

[lonestarflight]

At this point, might as well.

(in all seriousness, I wish Boeing would get their shit together.)

Posted on Facebook: link

[gemini-enthusiast]

Got to spend some unique moments today as part of the @nasa social event with the Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon Endurance that will be ferrying Crew 10 to the International Space Station. Named for the resilience of the NASA team and in honor of the ship at the heart of Shackleton's Antarctic expedition, Endurance will carry US astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Russian Cosmonaut Kirill Peskov.

The first image shows the Falcon 9 on its side, before being lifted by the transporter erector, which will support the vehicle until launch.

[anumberofhobbies]

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Splashdown (NHQ202503180024) by NASA HQ PHOTO Via Flickr: Support teams work around a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft shortly after it landed with NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov aboard in the water off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. Hague, Gorbunov, Williams, and Wilmore are returning from a long-duration science expedition aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Keegan Barber)

[youthchronical]

After another delay, when can we expect astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore's return? - The Times of India

Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore‘s return to Earth from the International Space Station (ISS) is delayed till March 19 after space agency Nasa announced that their return relies on the weather conditions at the splashdown sites off the coast of Florida.Earlier on Wednesday, Nasa had announced another reason for the delay in the SpaceX Crew-10 mission to the ISS after engineers…

[tatmanblue]

KSC-20240223-PH-SPX01_0002 by NASA Kennedy Via Flickr: SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission is mated to the company's Falcon 9 rocket at SpaceX’s hangar at Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A in Florida on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin are slated to launch to the International Space Station no earlier than 12:04 a.m. EST on March 1, 2024. Photo credit: SpaceX NASA image use policy.

[kaelula-sungwis]

KSC-20230223-PH-KLS01_0212 by NASA Kennedy Via Flickr: Andrey Fedyaev, Roscosmos cosmonaut and mission specialist for Crew-6, checks his SpaceX spacesuit inside the crew suit-up room in the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida during a countdown dress rehearsal on Feb. 23, 2023, to prepare for the upcoming Crew-6 launch. Fedyaev, along with NASA astronaut Stephen Bowen, spacecraft commander; NASA astronaut Warren “Woody” Hoburg, pilot; and Sultan Alneyadi, UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut and mission specialist will launch to the International Space Station aboard the Crew Dragon Endeavour on a SpaceX Falcon 9. Launch is targeted for 1:45 a.m. EST on Feb. 27 from Launch Complex 39A. Crew-6 is the sixth crew rotation mission with SpaceX to the station, and the seventh flight of Dragon with people as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett NASA image use policy.

[maeamian]

Anyhow happy birthday to my long departed grandfather, gramps you woulda loved the results coming out of Hyabusa 2 and OSIRIS-REx.

[topcrewsblog]

How To Become A Pilot In India After 12th?

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Join us today and take the first step towards a rewarding and exciting career in aviation! Contacts us: Website: www.topcrewaviation.com Phone: +91 7300042327 Email: info@topcrewaviation.com Address: 80-A Sudha Enclave, Patel Marg, Mansarovar, Jaipur, Rajasthan, INDIA-302020

[nasa]

One Giant Leap for Mankind

Millions of people around the globe will come together for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games later this month to witness a grand event—the culmination of years of training and preparation.

Fifty-five years ago this July, the world was watching as a different history-changing event was unfolding: the Apollo 11 mission was landing humans on the surface of another world for the first time. An estimated 650 million people watched on TV as Neil Armstrong reached the bottom of the ladder of the lunar module on July 20, 1969, and spoke the words, “That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.”

While the quest to land astronauts on the Moon was born from the space race with the Soviet Union during the Cold War, this moment was an achievement for the whole of humanity. To mark the world-embracing nature of the Moon landing, several tokens of world peace were left on the Moon during the astronauts’ moonwalk.

“We came in peace for all mankind”

These words, as well as drawings of Earth’s western and eastern hemispheres, are etched on a metal plaque affixed to a leg of the Apollo 11 lunar lander. Because the base of the lander remained on the Moon after the astronauts returned, it is still there today as a permanent memorial of the historic landing.

Microscopic messages from kings, queens, and presidents

Another artifact left on the Moon by the Apollo 11 astronauts is a small silicon disc etched with goodwill messages from leaders of 74 countries around the world. Each message was reduced to be smaller than the head of a pin and micro-etched on a disc roughly 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) in diameter. Thailand’s message, translated into English, reads: "The Thai people rejoice in and support this historic achievement of Earth men, as a step towards Universal peace."

Curious to read what else was inscribed on the disk? Read the messages.

An ancient symbol

The olive branch, a symbol of peace and conciliation in ancient Greek mythology, also found its way to the Moon in July 1969. This small olive branch made of gold was left on the lunar surface during Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin’s 2.5-hour moonwalk. The olive branch also featured on the Apollo 11 mission patches sewed on the crew’s spacesuits. Designed in part by command module pilot Michael Collins, the insignia shows a bald eagle landing on the Moon holding an olive branch in its talons.

We go together

As NASA’s Artemis program prepares to again land astronauts on the Moon, including the first woman and the first person of color, this time we’re collaborating with commercial and international partners. Together we will make new scientific discoveries, establish the first long-term presence on the Moon, and inspire a new generation of explorers.

Is aerospace history your cup of tea? Be sure to check out more from NASA’s past at www.nasa.gov/history.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space!

[lonestarflight]

"The Starliner Calypso spacecraft on NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test approaches the International Space Station while orbiting 263 miles above Quebec, Canada. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams aboard Starliner would dock to the orbital outpost's forward port on the Harmony module at 1:34 p.m. EDT on Thursday, June 6."

Date: June 6, 2024

NASA ID: iss071e171112

[gemini-enthusiast]

Boeing’s Starliner docked with the ISS today at 1:34 PM EST. They ran into a few hiccups along the way, primarily with the RCS system, so they were unable to dock during the first window and had to delay to the second window, but they made it. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will spend about a week at the Space Station before returning to earth.

Screencaps taken from the NASA live feed.

[anumberofhobbies]

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Splashdown (NHQ202503180023) by NASA HQ PHOTO Via Flickr: Support teams work around a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft shortly after it landed with NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov aboard in the water off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. Hague, Gorbunov, Williams, and Wilmore are returning from a long-duration science expedition aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Keegan Barber)

[nctrnm]

#NowPlaying: "Houston We Have a Podcast: Low Earth Orbit 2030" by NASA

[demie90s]

🎫 ᴘᴀꜱꜱᴘᴏʀᴛ ✈️ ᴘʀɪɴᴄᴇꜱꜱ🎫

(Something about a spoiled gf really hits)

꒰ 🍒 ꒱ Nika Mühl x READER ꒰ 🍒 ꒱ MASTERLIST

Part 1, ALL PARTS

⭑ pairing: Nika Mühl x reader (rich!fem!reader)

⭑ summary: After another W on the court, Nika’s ready to celebrate—in Croatia. You think it’s just a little family trip for her and her sister… until you find out the whole damn team, coaching staff, and media crew are coming too. Of course, you’re footing the bill. But who’s complaining? Definitely not Nika.

⭑ genre: Rich fluff, chaotic humor, softcore spoiling, travel chaos, team antics

⭑ warnings: Swearing, rich girl antics, mild delusion, jet-setting behavior, Instagram captions that bite

⭑ word count: ~ 0.7k

You didn’t even get to sit down post-game before Nika was tugging your sleeve like a child in Target.

“Let’s go to Croatia.”

You blinked. “…Huh?”

Her eyes were gleaming, cheeks still flushed from the win, messy bun half-untied and jersey clinging to her like she belonged on a billboard. “To see my family,” she said sweetly, “We haven’t been back since Christmas. I miss them.”

You nodded, already reaching for your phone. “You wanna take your sister too?”

Nika tilted her head. “No, babe. I mean everyone.”

You froze mid-text.

“Everyone?”

“Everyone.”

The locker room door creaked open just as KK, Azzi, Ice, and Aubrey barreled in, music playing off someone’s speaker. They were mid-celebration, towels whipping and voices echoing. Nika just looked over and pointed.

“Yeah. Them. Coaches. Media team. Jana. Inês. Whole squad.”

“…You want me to take the entire UConn program to Croatia?”

“Uh-huh.”

You blinked again. Nika smiled wider. You were dangerously in love.

“Okay.”

—

You booked the charter that night.

No commercial. No long lines. No customs chaos. You didn’t even blink when the travel agency confirmed you needed three full rows of first-class pods, a yacht-like Airbnb in Dubrovnik, four sprinter vans, two private chefs, and a backup stylist. This wasn’t a trip. This was a movement.

KK was the first to post.

@kkarnold2: GIRLY POPS IN CROATIA 🇭🇷✨ don’t ask questions just know it’s giving elite program energy

The internet lost its mind.

Comments rolled in like water:

“IS THIS A SCHOOL TRIP OR A FASHION SHOW?”

“Who tf is funding this???”

“Not KK casually posing in front of a villa like she own it 😭😭😭”

“Someone said spoiled rich girlfriend y/n supremacy 😭”

“Y/N got that Sofia Richie aura I fear.”

You didn’t even notice. You were too busy telling the sprinter van driver to detour through the scenic route because Nika liked the ocean view. She was curled up beside you, braided hair resting against your shoulder, already live-streaming while half the team yelled in the back about who got aux next.

Aubrey was threatening violence if someone didn’t play Beyoncé.

Jana was trying to teach Inês a TikTok dance that clearly required more coordination than she had.

Azzi was fake-texting Coach Geno, pretending to ask if she could wear a bikini on the beach and showing everyone his all-caps reply: “NO.”

—

By the time y’all got to the Airbnb—a seaside cliff mansion with glass floors and lemon trees—KK was already filming the “MTV Cribs” intro and pretending the marble staircase was hers.

“I’m standing in the foyer of my $12.6 million vacation home,” she said with a straight face. “Shoes off, bitches.”

Nika looked over at you and mouthed: thank you.

You just shrugged and said, “You’re lucky I like your face.”

She kissed you right then and there, right in front of the team. No warning. No lead-up. Just one hand in your hair, lips soft but certain, like she knew she was the only person in the world you’d do this for.

KK screamed. Ice nearly fell off the balcony. Paige shouted from the hot tub, “ABOUT TIME.”

Nika pulled back, smiling. “You didn’t even flinch.”

You licked your gloss and smirked. “This isn’t new to me, sweetheart. You are.”

—

Dinner was chaos.

Jana accidentally ordered six pounds of squid.

Ayanna somehow started a heated debate over whether or not Sprite tastes better in Europe.

KK tried to convince the media team to film a fake reality show called “UConn: Overseas and Overdramatic.”

You didn’t talk much, just scrolled your phone and occasionally fed Nika from your plate. She was wrapped up in a silk robe with sunglasses on indoors like she was born in this life. You leaned over halfway through and whispered, “Y’know I would’ve taken just you.”

She smiled without looking. “I know. But this makes it better.”

Later that night, Paige found you two curled up under the stars with a blanket wrapped around you both. You were showing Nika old baby pictures your mom had sent, and she was mocking your 5th-grade bowl cut like it didn’t make you bite your lip every time she giggled.

“Y’all are disgusting,” Paige muttered.

“Don’t be mad,” you said without looking up. “Some of us are in our soft era.”

Nika kissed your temple. “She said what she said.”

—

By the time the trip ended, the tag #PassportPrincess was trending. Every girl on the team had posted at least one thirst trap in matching white dresses on the yacht. One of the assistant coaches got a tattoo. The media crew uploaded a vlog called “Day in the Life of the Richest D1 Team to Ever Exist” and your comment—“y’all better not post me eating that lemon peel”—became the pinned top like.

When you touched down in the States, Nika leaned over and kissed your cheek one last time before getting off the jet.

“You’re really insane for this.”

You tucked your sunglasses on. “Only for you.”

She paused, grinning. “Next trip?”

You raised a brow. “Greece? Paris? Turks?”

She snorted. “Nah, just wanted to go to Target.”

You nodded. “I’ll get my keys.”

And that’s how the most expensive group vacation in college basketball history ended—with you pushing a red cart through the toy aisle while Nika danced to the store playlist.

Life was good. And she was worth every penny.

[umlewis]

From the Racetrack To Space: IWC Schaffhausen and the Polaris Program Give Lewis Hamilton Astronaut Flight Training

Schaffhausen/Qatar, 26th November 2024: In a compelling new short movie produced by IWC Schaffhausen, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team driver Lewis Hamilton embarks on a flight training for astronauts. The same training was used to prepare the crews of the Inspiration 4 and Polaris Dawn commercial human spaceflight missions. During the training day, the seven-time Formula 1 world champion and IWC brand ambassador was accompanied by students from Dibia DREAM, a non-profit organisation fostering STEM education. Their presence is also a reminder of Lewis Hamilton's own incredible career journey spanning more than three decades and sends an inspiring message: you can be anything you want in life – a pilot on the racetrack, in the air or even in space.

One of the most successful racing drivers of all time, Lewis Hamilton is a multifaceted personality whose interests and ambitions extend far beyond his sport. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion is deeply fascinated by space and human space exploration. He has visited renowned space training facilities and repeatedly expressed his desire to take part in a space mission in the future if it serves a purpose and contributes to the betterment of all humanity. IWC Schaffhausen now teamed up with the Polaris Program and its Philanthropy Director and instructor pilot, John "Slick" Baum, to offer Lewis Hamilton an opportunity to experience the flight training that is part of the organization's programme of preparing astronauts for space. The Polaris Program, which is supported by IWC, recently completed the first of three human spaceflight missions. During their five days in orbit, the Polaris Dawn crew wrote history by successfully performing the first commercial spacewalk.

FLIGHT TRAINING IS ESSENTIAL FOR ASTRONAUTS

Fighter jet training has been at the heart of human spaceflight since the beginning. All early astronauts were fighter jet pilots, and experience in piloting a jet was an essential requirement for going to space. Flight training was also a key pillar in the preparation of the Inspiration 4 and Polaris Dawn crews for their missions. While the g-loads experienced in a jet or a rocket cannot be directly compared, as they affect the body in different ways, jet training still offers compelling benefits for astronauts. Most importantly, it allows the crew members to familiarise themselves with operating in a high-risk and high-consequence environment, similar to what they would experience during launch. While they are pressed down into their seats by several times their own body weight, they have to communicate with each other, go through extensive technical checklists, and monitor critical flight parameters – all while being mentally aware of their surroundings and prepared to act in case something unexpected should happen.

A COMPLETE SEQUENCE OF TRAINING MANOEUVRES

Lewis Hamilton's space training kicked off with an extensive briefing and inspection of the L-39 Albatros jet. John "Slick" Baum gave Hamilton a detailed overview of the manoeuvres they would fly and how they simulate different situations an astronaut experiences during a spaceflight. During their subsequent discovery flight lasting almost one hour, Hamilton and his instructor performed a series of manoeuvres. They practiced accelerations and decelerations to experience lateral g-forces, simulating the ascent of a rocket. They also practiced higher g-loads by banking or pitching the aircraft hard. A highlight was flying a parabola figure for a zero-g demonstration, during which Hamilton briefly experienced the feeling of weightlessness. A racing glove, which eventually began to float freely in the cockpit, was used as a zero-g indicator. In flight, the F1 pilot pulled a maximum of 7.5 g, which is more than astronauts typically experience on ascent. Hamilton wore a dedicated race suit featuring a "space mission" patch with his car number 44. He will wear the same suit during this weekend's race at the Lusail International Circuit in Qatar.

DIBIA DREAM STUDENTS SEND A POWERFUL MESSAGE

The training was also attended by a group of students from Dibia DREAM. This nonprofit organisation sparks social change through STEM education and recreational activities for underserved youth and has impacted the lives of 40,000 students across 32 states and twelve countries. The students spent the entire day engaging in a variety of activities related to space exploration. They also got a chance to meet with Hamilton and ask him questions prior to take-off. Their presence served as a powerful reminder of Hamilton's incredible journey, from his humble beginnings in karting at the age of eight to becoming one of the most acclaimed drivers in the history of motorsport. As the students cheered alongside the runway, they sent an uplifting message to youths around the world: you can be anything you want in life – whether it is a racing driver, a pilot, or even an astronaut.

[straightup-jerkingit]

scenario inspired by @ohsnz who talked about t/enna sneezing on the air and getting all embarrassed

what if he woke up with the meanest, nastiest cold and felt just absolutely awful, but the show must go on so he sucks it up and goes to work anyway. Before t/v ti/me starts, he gets his crew to do his make up: white face paint to cover his red nose and cheeks, sticky gel to straighten/hold his droopy antennae, and powder to cover up the red glow on the bulbs of his antennae (my version of t/enna has glowing bulbs that indicate mood or physical state. Also he has a cute double when they try to powder the bulbs. they're sensitive).

while t/v ti/me is going on, he can't stop having little mishaps. Runny nose that he has to play off as allergies and quickly turn around to fix, trying to hold his sneezes and lightly hitching between words, forgetting he has face paint on that becomes very visible when he's displaying something on his screen, and to top it off, somebody who's pissed off at him decides to throw up sneezy questions during the quizzes which flusters him and makes him need to sneeze even more, stuff like "what the worst part about cleaning the house?: A) the dust; B) the feather duster; C) scents so strong it makes your face tingle; D) cleaning the house"

It all comes to a head during the cooking challenge, where someone drops a pepper grinder and pepper gets EVERYWHERE. At this point, everyone's sneezing, but t/enna has it the worst because he's oh so sick and he's been holding it in all day. He erupts into a harsh, never ending fit, and pitches forward so hard from the force of the sneezing that his antennae fall back down and his bulbs smack him in the face. Not only does it hurt, but it causes the powder to fly everywhere, revealing the glow and irritating his poor nose even further. Long after everyone else has stopped, he's still going, and his face has gotten incredibly messy, causing him to scrub at it with his sleeve. This wipes the paint away, revealing his red, feverish face and his even redder nose.

After he settles down, he realizes that everyone can see him in his wrecked state. Some are laughing, some are disgusted, some look very concerned. He's so ashamed he could cry, but before that happens, he figures he might as well explain himself to the audience... He says how he just wanted to keep everyone entertained and happy, even if it meant potentially looking like a fool, and that no matter what, he was gonna do his best to keep things running smoothly. Afterall, the show must go on! He apologizes and says that there'll be a quick commercial break, then everyone can get right back to the fun.

He starts sauntering away, but then a new meter appears: the aw <3 meter! The audience had such a positive reaction to his tearful apology that the crew whipped up a new meter just for this scenario, and the ratings are insane! After that, he decides to lean into it a bit. Everything still goes as planned, but he allows himself to be more sneezy and sickly throughout it all. He's still sorry about it, but in more of a playful way rather than a miserable way, and he even cracks little quips about it sometimes. During the gaming sections, he lets himself be swaddled in a warm blanket as he watches everyone play, maybe he nods off and they let him sleep a little bit before waking him up, and he has some coco made not only for himself, but the guests as well- isn't he so kind? And is he not just the cutest little thing???

At the end of the program, he thanks the audience for such a wonderful show- it almost looks like he could cry again, but with joy instead of sadness. He sneezes one last little sneeze, blushes and says, "Excuse me!" then he chuckles and waves goodbye, roll credits, peace and love in the da/rk wo/rld, GOODNIGHT EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!