Thanks for reading the WKMG-TV space newsletter.

Thanks for reading the WKMG-TV space newsletter.

NASA and the White House say an international astronaut will be invited on a future moon landing.

The four astronauts assigned to fly around the moon for the first time in 50 years have met with President Joe Biden at the White House.

The four astronauts assigned to fly around the moon next year have gotten their first look at their spacecraft.

The Crew-1 mission astronauts arrived back on Earth early Sunday morning.

Four astronauts returned to Earth early Sunday splashing down in darkness off Florida’s Gulf Coast following a 6-month stay 200 miles above the planet.

A SpaceX capsule carrying four astronauts has departed the International Space Station and is aiming for a rare nighttime splashdown.

SpaceX will attempt the first U.S. splashdown of returning astronauts in darkness since the Apollo 8 moonshot in 1968.

The astronauts are set to undock from the ISS Wednesday and splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean or Gulf of Mexico.

NASA and SpaceX are promising more Coast Guard patrols and fewer pleasure boaters for this weekend's splashdown by four astronauts.

This photo provided by NASA shows US astronaut Kate Rubins outside the International Space Station during a space walk on Friday, March 5, 2021. Rubins and Japan's Soichi Noguchi floated outside to complete unfinished work from Sunday's spacewalk. (NASA via AP)NASA astronauts are conducting the fifth spacewalk of 2021 Saturday as part of improvements to the International Space Station. Expedition 64 Flight Engineers Michael Hopkins and Victor Glover began the spacewalk at 8:14 a.m. with the work expected to last six and a half hours. pic.twitter.com/sLj2CwAqES — NASA (@NASA) March 13, 2021Use the form below to sign up for the ClickOrlando.com space newsletter, sent every Wednesday afternoon.

But so much ammonia spewed out of the first hose that Mission Control worried some of the frozen white flakes might have gotten on their suits. “There's more than I thought.”Even though the stream of ammonia was directed away from the astronauts and the space station, Hopkins said some icy crystals may have contacted his helmet. As a result, Mission Control said it was going to “be conservative" and require inspections. NASA did not want any ammonia getting inside the space station and contaminating the cabin atmosphere. “No, no, it’s not your fault,” Mission Control assured him.

More mounting brackets and struts need to be installed for new and improved solar panels due to arrive in June. (NASA via AP)For the second time this week, two astronauts are conducting a spacewalk on the International Space Station. LIVE: Spacewalk at the @Space_Station with astronauts Kate Rubins and @Astro_Soichi to prepare our orbiting laboratory for solar array upgrades. During Sunday’s spacewalk, Rubins and NASA astronaut Victor Glover encountered a number of stubborn bolts that prevented them from completing the support set-up. pic.twitter.com/mC7YXYpMdK — NASA (@NASA) March 5, 2021Learn more about Friday’s spacewalk and Expedition 64 here.

More mounting brackets and struts need to be installed for new and improved solar panels due to arrive in June. (NASA via AP)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Spacewalking astronauts completed the first round of prep work Friday for new solar panels, part of a major power upgrade at the International Space Station. NASA’s Kate Rubins and Japan’s Soichi Noguchi installed mounting brackets and struts for the improved solar wings due to arrive in June. The eight solar panels have degraded over time; the oldest were launched 20 years ago. Noguchi, Glover and two other NASA astronauts will fly SpaceX back in late April or May.

In this image taken from NASA video, NASA astronauts Kate Rubins, top, and Victor Glover work outside the International Space Station Sunday, Feb. 28, 2021. The spacewalking astronauts ventured out Sunday to install support frames for new, high-efficiency solar panels arriving at the International Space Station later this year. (NASA via AP)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Spacewalking astronauts ventured out Sunday to install support frames for new, high-efficiency solar panels arriving at the International Space Station later this year. With more people and experiments flying on the space station, more power will be needed to keep everything running, according to NASA. The eight solar panels up there now are 12 to 20 years old — most of them past their design lifetime and deteriorating.

(NASA via AP)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A pair of spacewalking astronauts completed a four-year effort to modernize the International Space Station's power grid on Monday, installing one last battery. Over the weekend, flight controllers in Houston used the space station’s big robot arm to replace the last pair of old-style batteries with a single better-quality one. Although the spacewalk got started late, Hopkins and Glover hustled through the battery work in under an hour. AdThe space station is now equipped with 24 lithium-ion batteries to store power collected by the solar panels. In all, 14 spacewalks were needed to complete the battery work.

In this image taken from NASA video, NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins works outside the International Space Stations European lab on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021. (NASA via AP)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A pair of astronauts went spacewalking Wednesday to install a high-speed data link outside the International Space Station’s European lab. About four hours into their spacewalk the astronauts encountered an issue with some of the cables being installed to ESA’s science communication antenna. “This is issue is not unusual due to cable stiffness in space,” NASA said in a tweet. About five-and-a-half hours into the spacewalk the astronauts were ahead of schedule and began completing on other tasks before heading into the airlock.

In this image taken from NASA video, NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins works outside the International Space Stations European lab on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021. Hopkins and Victor Glover went spacewalking Wednesday to install a high-speed data link outside the International Space Stations European lab and connect cables for an experiment platform awaiting activation for almost a year. (NASA via AP)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Spacewalking astronauts encountered cable trouble Wednesday while attempting to make improvements to the International Space Station’s European lab. Elsewhere on the lab, Glover could not hook up all the power and data cables on a science research platform that's been awaiting activation for almost a year. Hopkins and Glover will perform a second spacewalk on Monday to complete battery upgrades to the station’s solar power grid.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The SpaceX Cargo Dragon undocked from the space station Tuesday morning and completed the splashdown off Florida’s west coast. A day after the weather postponed the undocking, Dragon got the green light to undock around 9:05 a.m. Tuesday. 🐉 The upgraded @SpaceX cargo Dragon successfully undocked from the @Space_Station at 9:05am ET & is on its way back to Earth for splashdown on Jan. 13, west of Tampa off the coast of Florida. @ISS_Research will be delivered to researchers at @NASAKennedy: https://t.co/Dqltf5ME8X pic.twitter.com/esYxtUmBfH — NASA (@NASA) January 12, 2021Back at the space station, the crew onboard is preparing for upcoming spacewalks planned for Jan. 19 and 25. Commander Mike Hopkins and pilot Victor Glover, who both flew aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon in November, will conduct both spacewalks.

Pence announced the names of the first astronauts cadre to train for the next missions to the lunar surface under NASA’s Artemis program. Many of the astronauts already have spaceflight experience while for others a mission to the moon could be their first journey into space. Among those selected is astronaut Victor Glover and Kate Rubins, both who are currently on the International Space Station. Meet the following astronauts:Joe Acaba, astronaut class 2004Kayla Barron, astronaut class 2017Raja Chari, astronaut class 2017Matthew Dominick, astronaut class 2017Victor Glover, astronaut class 2013Warren Hoburg, astronaut class 2017Jonny Kim, astronaut class 2017Christina Koch, astronaut class 2013Kjell Lindgren, astronaut class 2009Nicole Mann, astronaut class 2013Anne McCLain, astronaut class 2013Jessica Meir, astronaut class 2013Jasmine Moghbeli, astronaut class 2017Kate Rubins, astronaut class 2009Frank Rubio, astronaut class 2017Scott Tingle, astronaut class 2009Jessica Watkins, astronaut class 2017Stephanie Wilson, astronaut class 1996You can read their biographies here. In addition to naming the first Artemis astronauts, Pence revealed a new space policy from the White House and officially renamed Patrick Air Force Base as Patrick Space Force Base.

Four astronauts who recently arrived on the Space Station via the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft smiled ear-to-ear describing their journey into space Thursday, meanwhile the rocket booster used for the launch is set to return to Port Canaveral later in the day. NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins, Victor Glover and Shannon Walker, along with Japanese Space Agency astronaut Soichi Noguchi launched Sunday night on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in the Dragon spacecraft from Kennedy Space Center. After 27 hours in space the astronauts arrived to the space station where NASA astronaut Kate Rubins was waiting to greet them at docking. The American and Japanese astronaut crew answered some questions on Thursday about the new arrivals on ISS. The booster will be used again next year to launch another round of astronauts for NASA to the International Space Station.

SpaceX delivered its second crew of astronauts to the International Space Station late Monday night, just 27 hours after their launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. In their first press conference from orbit, the four astronauts described Sunday night's launch and their first impressions of the space station, their new home until spring. It's the first time the space station has had seven long-term crew members all at once, which is expected to boost scientific output. There's energy up here,” said NASA astronaut Kate Rubins, who arrived on a Russian Soyuz capsule a month ago. NASA turned to SpaceX and Boeing to transport astronauts to the space station from the U.S. following the 2011 retirement of the shuttle fleet, reducing America's costly reliance on Russian rockets.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – SpaceX’s newly launched capsule with four astronauts arrived Monday at the International Space Station, their new home until spring. The Dragon capsule pulled up and docked late Monday night, following a 27-hour, completely automated flight from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. “Oh, what a good voice to hear,” space station astronaut Kate Rubins called out when the Dragon's commander, Mike Hopkins, first made radio contact. But it’s the first time Elon Musk’s company delivered a crew for a full half-year station stay. As they prepared for the space station linkup, the Dragon crew beamed down live window views of New Zealand and a brilliant blue, cloud-streaked Pacific 250 miles below.

MERRITT ISLAND, Fla. – ***11:16 p.m. Nov. 16, 2020 Update***SpaceX’s newly launched capsule with four astronauts has arrived at the International Space Station. The Dragon capsule pulled up and docked late Monday night, following a 27-hour, completely automated flight from Florida. ***Original***After a good night’s sleep for four astronauts -- three NASA and one JAXA --aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon in orbit, the crew will prepare to dock at the International Space Station late Monday. NASA and SpaceX have continued to stream live views from the space station and the Crew Dragon. The first return to human spaceflight from Kennedy Space Center happened in May with NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. – After a flawless launch from Kennedy Space Center sending four astronauts into orbit, private company SpaceX reported issues with the Crew Dragon spacecraft as it began its 27-hour journey to the space station. SpaceX launches astronauts for NASA and its international partners under the agency’s commercial crew program. SpaceX launches 4 astronauts on 6-month journey in space | Highlights from the SpaceX Crew-1 countdown, liftoff and Falcon 9 landing]“Teams are troubleshooting propellant heaters that heat the fuel aboard Crew Dragon,” NASA said in a tweet. A short while later, teams re-enabled the Crew Dragon’s propellant heaters and worked with the astronauts to correct the issue. Teams have re-enabled the Crew Dragon's propellant heaters and will continue collecting data.

The Falcon 9 rocket launched at 7:27 p.m. from Launchpad 39A at Kennedy Space Center. NASA and SpaceX plan to reused the Falcon 9 rocket booster to launch another round of astronauts to the space station next year. Re-watch the landing below:After liftoff, the Dragon seperated from the rocket’s second stage allowing the astronauts began their journey to the ISS. It will take about 27 hours for the spacecraft to catch up to the space station. For a full recap of highlights from the launch, landing and more watch the video at the top of this story.

The three Americans and one Japanese should reach the International Space Station late Monday for a five- to six-month stay, following Sunday's liftoff from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. A brief look at each:—Crew commander Mike Hopkins, 51, is an Air Force colonel and former space station resident who grew up on a hog and cattle farm in Missouri. He played football for the University of Illinois and, before becoming an astronaut in 2009, worked at the Pentagon. —Shannon Walker, 55, a Houston-born-and-raised physicist, also has lived before on the space station. She worked as a flight controller at NASA’s Johnson Space Center and then behind the scenes in the space station program, before becoming an astronaut in 2004.

The Dragon spacecraft nicknamed Resilience will arrive at the International Space Station about 27 hours after launch, around 11 p.m. Monday. The Dragon spacecraft launch escape system is armed. 4:58 p.m. Space fans ready to watch Falcon 9 launchPeople in Titusville at Space View park came out to watch the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch with four astronauts from Kennedy Space Center on Nov. 15, 2020. SpaceX suit technicians known as SpaceX ninjas, wearing all black, helped the astronauts get into the Crew Dragon spacecraft and into their seats. “We are fully booked tomorrow, too.”She said without the Crew-1 launch and the earlier SpaceX launch in May, her B&B might not have survived.

As the astronauts made their way outside the O&C building the national anthem was performed by country music artist Travis Tritt. This is the last time the astronauts will see their families in person for six months. 🚗Right on schedule, NASA's SpaceX Crew-1 crew is driving out to the launch pad. After a brief goodbye, the astronauts got into Teslas and began their 20-minute ride to the Falcon 9 rocket at Launch Complex 39A. News 6 and ClickOrlando.com will have complete coverage of the Crew-1 launch.

It is due to reach the space station late Monday and remain there until spring. Even the two astronauts on the first SpaceX crew flight stayed behind at Johnson Space Center in Houston. “I didn’t start breathing until about a minute after it took off,” Pence said during a stop at SpaceX Launch Control to congratulate the workers. The first-stage booster is expected to be recycled by SpaceX for the next crew launch. NASA turned to private companies to haul cargo and crew to the space station, after the shuttle fleet retired in 2011.

Four astronauts headed to Kennedy Space Center on Sunday for SpaceX’s second crew launch, coming up next weekend. It will be a speedy trip to the space station, a six-orbit express lasting under nine hours. The four are scheduled to be SpaceXs second crew launch in mid-November 2020. The four will remain in orbit until spring when their replacements arrive aboard another SpaceX Dragon capsule. They will join two Russians and one American who arrived at the space station last month from Kazakhstan.

For NASA, it marks the long-awaited start of regular crew rotations at the International Space Station, with private companies providing the lifts. It will be a speedy trip to the space station, a six-orbit express lasting under nine hours. “Every time there’s a Dragon launch, there will be two Dragons in space,” said Reed, director of crew mission management. NASA turned to private companies for space station deliveries — cargo, then crew — following the shuttle fleet's retirement in 2011. They will join two Russians and one American who arrived at the space station last month from Kazakhstan.

The second-ever crewed launch of the private spacecraft will mark the first operation mission to the International Space Station for Dragon. NASA Astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken launched on the first Dragon test flight with astronauts to the space station in May and successfully splashed down in August, becoming the first Dragon riders and NASA astronauts to launch from American soil since 2011. Meet the international crew set to become the second round of Dragon riders below:Mike Hopkins, Dragon commanderIn October 2013, aboard International Space Station Expedition 37 Flight Engineer Michael Hopkins prepares the Fluids Integrated Rack for an experiment. “I think you, if you want to be a leader in space, we need to be able to launch our own astronauts into space,” Hopkins said. Victor Glover, Dragon pilotNASA Astronaut Victor Glover during EVA training in 2014.

NASA and SpaceX announced Monday that the launch of its SpaceX Crew-1 mission from Cape Canaveral now has a new target date of Nov. 14 at 7:49 p.m. NASA said American astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker and Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi will catch a ride to the International Space Station aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket. They have been training to fly in the SpaceX Dragon spaceship together at the company’s headquarters in California. The first Crew Dragon to launch humans was named Endeavour by its passengers, NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, who successfully launched from Kennedy Space Center earlier this year, marking the first human spaceflight from Florida’s coast since 2011. Managers of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission plan to host a news conference Wednesday at 4 p.m. to provide more details about the upcoming launch.

NASA announced on Saturday that the launch of it’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission to the International Space Station has been delayed until mid-November. The crew of Shannon Walker, Victor Glover, Michael Hopkins and Soichi Noguchi were supposed to launch from Cape Canaveral on Oct. 31, but the launch was delayed to allow for additional hardware testing and data reviews, NASA announced. The crew will work on science missions and conduct spacewalks for six months once it arrives at the International Space Station.

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – The next astronauts to launch from Kennedy Space Center will begin their journey into space on the SpaceX Dragon capsule named Resilience. NASA said American astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker and Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi will catch a ride to the International Space Station aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket. They have been training to fly in the SpaceX Dragon spaceship together at the company’s headquarters in California. On Tuesday, Hopkins revealed the astronauts have named their spacecraft Resilience. The first Crew Dragon to launch humans was named Endeavour by its passengers, NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley.

NASA astronauts have an amazing platform to inspire others about space exploration but also to help be a voice for others. On Friday, what would have marked Taylors 27th birthday, NASA astronauts Jeanette Epps shared a message on Twitter in her memory. NASA astronauts Victor Glover, is among the next four astronauts who will launch on SpaceXs Crew Dragon, as soon as August 30. He also happens to be one of the few active black astronauts in the NASA Astronaut Corps. Lets Work.