Knock knock!
It is NASA’s crawler-transporter 2 arriving at the Vehicle Assembly Building at KSC for a pick-up!
Tomorrow morning Jan. 17, at ~7 a.m. EST. it will transport NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft + Mobile Launcher to Launch Pad 39B in preparation for the Artemis II crewed mission around the Moon on ~6 Feb.
At about one mph, the four-mile journey will take 10-12 hours.
Livestream starts at 7 a.m. at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrVnsO_rdew
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/missions/2026/01/16/artemis-ii-moon-rocket-ready-for-big-move/
3/n
A pair of crawler-transporters (nicknamed “Hans” and “Franz”) were built in 1965 to move the massive Saturn V rocket from Kennedy’s VAB to Launch Complex 39. After the Moon landing and Skylab programs ended, the crawlers were used to transport the space shuttles.
CT-2 was upgraded for the Artemis program around 2012.
CT-1 was originally planned for commercial launch vehicles but its future remains uncertain.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crawler-transporter
https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/exploration-ground-systems/the-crawlers/
4/n
NASA is targeting Sat. Jan 17 for the rollout of the Artemis II SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft for final integration, testing, and launch rehearsals.
The 4-mile journey to the launch pad at KSC using the crawler-transporter-2 will take ~12 hours. After system checks and tests, astronauts will conduct a final walkdown at the pad.
At the end of Jan, NASA will conduct a wet dress rehearsal, including fueling and unfueling of the rocket without astronauts onsite.
https://www.nasa.gov/missions/artemis/artemis-2/final-steps-underway-for-nasas-first-crewed-artemis-moon-mission/
2/n
Knock knock!
It is NASA’s crawler-transporter 2 arriving at the Vehicle Assembly Building at KSC for a pick-up!
Tomorrow morning Jan. 17, at ~7 a.m. EST. it will transport NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft + Mobile Launcher to Launch Pad 39B in preparation for the Artemis II crewed mission around the Moon on ~6 Feb.
At about one mph, the four-mile journey will take 10-12 hours.
Livestream starts at 7 a.m. at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrVnsO_rdew
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/missions/2026/01/16/artemis-ii-moon-rocket-ready-for-big-move/
3/n
NASA’s IMAP (Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe) reached its destination and entered into a halo orbit around the Sun-Earth Lagrange L1 point, 1.5 million km from earth.
Two other accompanying spacecraft, all launched on Sept. 24, 2025, also reached L1 - the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory and the NOAA SWFO-L1 (Space Weather Follow On-Lagrange 1).
At least 5 other Sun and space-weather observation spacecraft orbit around L1.
https://imap.princeton.edu/news/nasa%E2%80%99s-imap-mission-reaches-its-destination-l1
1/n
Post on LinkedIn by Commander Mike Fincke -
"As many of you have heard, our crew will be coming home just a few weeks earlier than planned due to an unexpected medical issue.
First and foremost, we are all OK. Everyone on board is stable, safe, and well cared for. This was a deliberate decision to allow the right medical evaluations to happen on the ground, where the full range of diagnostic capability exists. It’s the right call, even if it’s a bit bittersweet."
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7416022070469378048/
5/n
NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov have departed the International Space Station aboard the Crew-11 Dragon spacecraft.
Splash down off the coast of San Diego at 3:41 a.m. EST tomorrow morning.
Video of the undocking sequence an hour ago - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IakRgsTYUDY
6/n
The NASA Artemis II mission is targeted for launch as early as Feb. 6.
NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen will complete a 10-day journey around the Moon and back (no moon landing) to test systems and hardware, in preparation for future lunar landing missions.
It will be the first crewed mission to the vicinity of the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972.
Launch vehicle: Space Launch System (SLS)
Spacecraft: Orion
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-invites-media-to-cover-artemis-mission-from-johnson-space-center/
1/n
NASA is targeting Sat. Jan 17 for the rollout of the Artemis II SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft for final integration, testing, and launch rehearsals.
The 4-mile journey to the launch pad at KSC using the crawler-transporter-2 will take ~12 hours. After system checks and tests, astronauts will conduct a final walkdown at the pad.
At the end of Jan, NASA will conduct a wet dress rehearsal, including fueling and unfueling of the rocket without astronauts onsite.
https://www.nasa.gov/missions/artemis/artemis-2/final-steps-underway-for-nasas-first-crewed-artemis-moon-mission/
2/n
The NASA Artemis II mission is targeted for launch as early as Feb. 6.
NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen will complete a 10-day journey around the Moon and back (no moon landing) to test systems and hardware, in preparation for future lunar landing missions.
It will be the first crewed mission to the vicinity of the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972.
Launch vehicle: Space Launch System (SLS)
Spacecraft: Orion
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-invites-media-to-cover-artemis-mission-from-johnson-space-center/
1/n
"SpaceX's plan to launch an additional 15,000 satellites for its Starlink cellular system has sparked opposition and concern from rival companies and environmentalists."
Such as Viasat, Globalstar, DarkSky International, Blue Origin, Iridium, Ligado, and the Mobile Satellite Services Association.
"The big question is whether the pushback sways the FCC. The Commission's Republican chairman, Brendan Carr, is a supporter of SpaceX ..."
https://www.pcmag.com/news/spacex-faces-more-pushback-over-plans-to-launch-15k-cellular-starlink-satellites
3/n
Meanwhile, China recently filed a flurry of applications at the ITU for LEO constellations totaling nearly 200,000 satellites.
The largest of these constellations, CTC-1 and CTC-2, will support 96,714 satellites each.
China is already constructing its national Guowang and Shanghai-backed Qianfan constellations, each with 10,000+ satellites.
Space colonization and grabbing of orbital and spectrum resources is real.
https://interestingengineering.com/space/china-largest-satellite-constellations-approval
https://spacenews.com/china-files-itu-paperwork-for-megaconstellations-totaling-nearly-200000-satellites/
4/n
NASA has set a target date for the ISS Crew-11’s early return to earth.
Undocking: 5 p.m. EST, Wednesday, Jan. 14
Splashdown: 3:40 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 15, off the coast of CA
Crew: NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov.
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/01/09/nasa-spacex-set-target-date-for-crew-11s-return-to-earth/
4/n
Post on LinkedIn by Commander Mike Fincke -
"As many of you have heard, our crew will be coming home just a few weeks earlier than planned due to an unexpected medical issue.
First and foremost, we are all OK. Everyone on board is stable, safe, and well cared for. This was a deliberate decision to allow the right medical evaluations to happen on the ground, where the full range of diagnostic capability exists. It’s the right call, even if it’s a bit bittersweet."
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7416022070469378048/
5/n
At a press conference this evening, NASA leadership announced its decision to bring Crew 11 home early due to the medical situation with one of the crew members. Date TBD.
https://www.youtube.com/live/ffcV3jCwwPk
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/commercialcrew/2026/01/08/nasa-shares-latest-update-on-international-space-station-operations/
3/n
NASA has set a target date for the ISS Crew-11’s early return to earth.
Undocking: 5 p.m. EST, Wednesday, Jan. 14
Splashdown: 3:40 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 15, off the coast of CA
Crew: NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov.
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/01/09/nasa-spacex-set-target-date-for-crew-11s-return-to-earth/
4/n
Station Commander Mike Fincke and Flight Engineer Zena Cardman were scheduled to conduct their mission’s first spacewalk at 8 a.m. EST today. The duo’s primary task during the 6.5 hour spacewalk was to install a modification kit and routing cables for a future roll-out solar array. Secondary tasks included installing jumper cables, taking hardware photos, and collecting microorganism samples.
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/01/07/expedition-74-ready-for-thursday-spacewalk-and-continuing-research/
2/n
At a press conference this evening, NASA leadership announced its decision to bring Crew 11 home early due to the medical situation with one of the crew members. Date TBD.
https://www.youtube.com/live/ffcV3jCwwPk
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/commercialcrew/2026/01/08/nasa-shares-latest-update-on-international-space-station-operations/
3/n
AkaSci 🛰
️