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: Russia's 92nd Progress cargo ship to support the International Space Station lifted off Thursday (July 3) with nods to the upcoming 50th anniversary of the first joint space mission between Russia and the United States. Medallions commemorating the half-century milestone were packed on board Progress MS-31 and a 50 years logo was added to the side of its Soyuz 2.1a booster. The Apollo-Soyuz Test Project spanned July 15 - 24, 1975.
: Robert "Hoot" Gibson is selling 100 pages from various checklists that he used on his first of five space shuttle missions in 1984. The STS-41B artifacts are offered with signed copies of his kids' book, "First Flight," and include a tax-deductible donation to Take Up Space, a STEM education non-profit focused on Native American girls. Originally, Gibson (and the other astronauts of his time) were not intended to own their flown checklists.
: More than 40 years ago, Poland, Hungary and India sent their first countrymen into space as part of the former Soviet Union's Interkosmos program. Now, all three nations have sent citizens into orbit again, this time together on a commercial mission to the International Space Station. Led by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, the Axiom Space Ax-4 crew is Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, Tibor Kapu and Shubhanshu Shukla.
: After six weeks of renovations, the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum reopened the Sands Space History Center. A ribbon cutting on Tuesday (June 17) welcomed the public back to the center. Although most of the exhibitions are from before the closure, a new display focuses on the 75th anniversary of the first launch from Florida in July 1950. The Sands Space History Center is free to enter and open six days per week.
: Estes Industries and United Launch Alliance (ULA) have partnered on a new 1:100 scale model of the Vulcan rocket. Standing more than two feet tall, the Estes ULA Vulcan is ready to fly out out of the box. Powered by either a D or E-class model engine, the Vulcan can fly as high as 300 feet before descending under two parachutes. The $79.99 kit is also intended for desktop or shelf display with a stand and mock BE-4 engines included.
: A baby swan will fly to the International Space Station, joining a crew of international astronauts. The Axiom Mission 4 zero-g indicator is "Joy," a plush swan that by beginning to float will signal to Peggy Whitson, Shubhanshu Shukla, Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski and Tibor Kapu that they have safely reached low Earth orbit. The crew selected a swan because of what it represents in the Indian, Polish and Hungarian cultures.
: It may not sound like it when reading it, but the "One Big Beautiful Bill" now directs NASA to remove space shuttle Discovery from the Smithsonian and transfer it to Space Center Houston. The language in the bill, which never mentions the orbiter, Texas or either museum, is purposely vague to avoid Senate reconciliation restrictions. Update: Passed by Congress, the bill heads to the President for his signature.
: First there was "Endeavour." Next came, "Resilience," "Endurance" and "Freedom." And now there is "Grace." Ax-4 commander Peggy Whitson revealed the name of SpaceX's fifth and last Dragon crew capsule to be built as she and her crewmates entered orbit aboard the new spacecraft. Whitson said that "Grace" as a name reflected the "elegance of spaceflight" and is the "act of good work for the benefit of every human everywhere."
: In a movie where one of the main characters is a green and purple fireproof slug-like alien, it might be surprising to see a picture-perfect rendering of a NASA spacecraft. That is the case though, in "Elio," the new Disney-Pixar film out in theaters now. Serving both as a plot device and a metaphor for the titular boy's search, the inclusion of (spoiler!) the Voyager probe is one way that Elio's extraterrestrial adventure is based in real spaceflight.
: Nate D. Sanders Auctions in Los Angeles has opened bidding on the Sally Ride Estate Collection, the first public offering of items once belonging to the first American woman in space. The more than 50 lots include artifacts and related memorabilia spanning Ride's career with NASA, including her two space shuttle flights. Among the highlights are flight suits, NASA letters and two diaries she kept during her second space mission.
: Marc Garneau became the first Canadian astronaut to fly in space in 1984. On Wednesday (June 4), he died at the age of 76 after a short illness. One of Canada's first six astronauts chosen in 1983, Garneau launched on three NASA space shuttle missions (STS-41G, STS-77 and STS-87), was appointed president of the Canadian Space Agency, served 15 years in Canada's Parliament and was the Minister of Transport.
: At one point it was a real possibility that Peggy Whitson would be in space when she was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. After a launch delay, she was still absent but only because she was in quarantine awaiting her fifth liftoff. The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex went forward with the public ceremony on Saturday (May 31), inducting Peggy Whitson in absentia and Bernard Harris, the first Black spacewalker.
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