pettitfrontier

LIVE: Following the conclusion of the Artemis II Flight Readiness Review, we're sharing the latest updates on our upcoming crewed mission around the Moon. twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…

For 20 years, our Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has searched the planet for signs of long-ago water. It has sent back photos that are not only stunning, but useful – they'll help us when future astronauts land on Mars to explore it. Which is your favorite?

Starship V3 first flight in about 4 weeks

100% mission success

The ISS is now likely to fly through 2032, and Congress wants NASA to get moving on selecting two developers for private space stations. arstechnica.com/space/2026/03/…

@vast @NASASpaceflight @balerionspace @NikonDotCom @SpaceCapital @Earthrise_VC well done I see Nikon is ready to keep its cameras in LEO for the next generation

Vast has secured $500M in funding to advance next-generation space station technologies and infrastructure for America and its allies. vastspace.com/updates/vast-s…

@TLPN_Official unfortunate Japanese launch just can’t catch a break lately

🚨BREAKING! Japan's SpaceOne KAIROS Rocket Launch Ends In Failure🚨 Space One’s KAIROS No. 3 rocket suffered an anomaly during first stage flight following liftoff on March 5, 2026 at 11:10 a.m. local time from the Kii Spaceport in Japan. According to the company, the vehicle experienced a major issue during ascent which led teams to determine that mission success was no longer possible. Flight controllers then activated the Flight Termination System (FTS) to safely end the mission. Video from the launch shows an explosion during first stage flight, after which the rocket began spinning out of control before breaking apart. Space One released the following statement: “Kairos No. 3 was launched on March 5, 2026, at 11:10:00 a.m., but we determined that mission success was difficult and implemented flight termination measures. Details are currently under investigation.” This marks another setback for the KAIROS launch vehicle, as the company continues working toward establishing Japan’s first private orbital launch capability.

@airkatakana the military technology, intelligence, and force projection is simply magnitudes beyond any other country it is bloated, expensive, wasteful, and relatively slow to produce and replenish but it is the best. that is indisputable

why is no one talking about *how* the usa and allies effortlessly captured the head of state of one country and killed another? these countries have militaries. they’re investing tons into making sure these things don’t happen what does the usa have now that made it so easy?

@Pinboard SANS and other eye problems will probably be around for a while, absent gravity but spaceflight is getting better at the human health elements each year!

I published a new Mars post about the effects of long-term microgravity on eyes and bones. The good news is we may have a magic fix for the bone loss issue; the bad news is that eye damage in astronauts seems to be a lot worse than initially feared

Falcon 9 launches 29 @Starlink satellites from Florida

Endeavoring for not just one, but TWO Moon landings in 2028. Coming weeks: Artemis II around the Moon Mid-2027: Artemis III rendezvousing with one or both HLS providers, testing space suits in low Earth orbit Early 2028: Artemis IV lunar landing Late 2028: Artemis V lunar landing, beginning work on lunar base This is how we get back to the Moon with urgency, to stay.

At 7 p.m. Eastern Time on February 27, DIU's Cassowary Vex mission successfully took flight from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. The mission consisted of a suborbital launch of a fully integrated hypersonic test platform capable of sustained, maneuverable flight at speeds exceeding Mach 5 and leveraged a modified #Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron (HASTE) launch vehicle from @RocketLab. This project is a significant milestone and supports the DoW’s designation of Scaled Hypersonics (SHY) as one of six critical technology areas. Learn more here: diu.mil/latest/cassowa…

@KenKirtland17 only one rover too. Astrolab interesting

An artemis image with no gateway anywhere but literally nova C. Too beautiful to believe

President Trump gave the world the Artemis Program, and NASA and our partners have the plan to deliver. We will standardize architecture where possible, add missions and accelerate flight rate, execute in an evolutionary way, and safely return American astronauts to the Moon, this time to stay. This is the NASA that once changed the world. This is the NASA that will do it again.

Our @NASAArtemis Moon rocket is in the Vehicle Assembly Building after a multi-hour trek from the launch pad. Next, technicians will troubleshoot the helium flow issue to the rocket’s upper stage and conduct other work. More: go.nasa.gov/4qSAVXb

As an update to my earlier post. - The ICPS helium bottles are used to purge the engines, as well as for LH2 and LOX tank pressurization. The systems did work correctly during WDR1 and WDR2. - Last evening, the team was unable to get helium flow through the vehicle. This occurred during a routine operation to repressurize the system. - We observed a similar failure signature on Artemis I. - The Artemis II vehicle is in a safe configuration, using ground ECS purge for the engines versus the onboard helium supply. - Potential faults could include the final filter between the ground and flight vehicle, located on the umbilical, though this seems least likely based on the failure signature. It could also be a failed QD umbilical interface, where similar issues have been observed. It could also be a failed check valve onboard the vehicle, which would be consistent with Artemis I, though corrective actions were taken to minimize reoccurrence on Artemis II. Regardless of the potential fault, accessing and remediating any of these issues can only be performed in the VAB. As mentioned previously, we will begin preparations for rollback, and this will take the March launch window out of consideration. I understand people are disappointed by this development. That disappointment is felt most by the team at NASA, who have been working tirelessly to prepare for this great endeavor. During the 1960s, when NASA achieved what most thought was impossible, and what has never been repeated since, there were many setbacks. One historic example is that Neil Armstrong spent less than 11 hours in space on Gemini 8 before his mission ended prematurely due to a technical issue. A little over three years later, he became the first man to walk on the Moon. There are many differences between the 1960s and today, and expectations should rightfully be high after the time and expense invested in this program. I will say again, the President created Artemis as a program that will far surpass what America achieved during Apollo. We will return in the years ahead, we will build a Moon base, and undertake what should be continuous missions to and from the lunar environment. Where we begin with this architecture and flight rate is not where it will end. Please expect a more extensive briefing later this week as we outline the path forward, not just for Artemis II, but for subsequent missions, to ensure NASA meets the President’s vision to return to the Moon and, this time, to stay.

Major progress between WDR and WDR2. Proud of the @NASA team as this was a big step toward America’s return to the lunar environment. We are going 🌖🇺🇸

This will be interesting! NASA to Provide Starliner Crew Flight Test Review Findings Today. "During a news conference at 2 p.m. EST on Thursday NASA will discuss the findings of investigations into the 2024 crewed test flight of Boeing Starliner to the International Space Station. "

Celebrating 5 years on Mars! 🎉 NASA's Perseverance Rover safely landed on the surface of the Red Planet 5 years ago today, ready to begin its search for signs of past life. In 2024, it made a significant find: the "Cheyava Falls" rock pictured here provides possible evidence of ancient life on Mars!

WOWWW HOLY SHIT!! First full test of Pad 2's deluge system. This is absolutely insane. Way more intense than I could have possibly expected. 🎥: @LabPadre