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Starliner OFT-2 launch: Boeing's second attempt at sending a Starliner spacecraft to dock with the International Space Station is now underway, having lifted off atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on Thursday (May 19). The Orbital Flight Test-2 is aimed at completing the objectives that were missed on the glitch-ridden OFT-1 in 2019, including demonstrating a rendezvous and testing the capsule's ability to tie into the space station's systems.
Sally Ride statue: A seven-foot-tall, bronze and gold monument to the first U.S. woman to fly into space is set to be unveiled in New York during a public ceremony on June 17. The Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City will reveal the statue at the center of its new Sally Ride Circle outside its main entrance. The installation will depict the astronaut raising a space shuttle model toward the sky.
Crew-3 splashes down: Astronauts Raja Chari, Tom Marshburn and Kayla Barron, all of NASA, and Matthias Maurer of ESA are back on Earth, having safely splashed down aboard SpaceX's Dragon Endurance in the Gulf of Mexico. The landing marked the end of the 176-day Crew-3 mission to the International Space Station, during which the four astronauts conducted science, spacewalks and maintenance as Expedition 66 and 67 crew members.
Deployed and delivered: The James Webb Space Telescope will feature on a new U.S. postage stamp later this year. Announced by the USPS on Tuesday (May 3), the stamp will feature an illustration of the observatory by artist James Vaughan and be sold in sheets of 20 with a selvage image of a bright star taken by the telescope. More details, including the first day of issue, are still to come.
Meet the LEGO Space Team: The stars of LEGO Education's "Build to Launch" video series come to life in a new Artemis-themed exhibit at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. Guests can now meet life-size versions of the minifigure LEGO Space Team, who as NASA astronauts, flight controllers and engineers serve to inspire kids to take up the same careers. The new Build to Launch exhibit offers the chance to join the LEGO Space Team in a photo op and piece together toy brick creations.
Earth Views: In time for Earth Day, former NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg has revealed Earth Views, her new textiles collection with Robert Kaufman Fabrics. Based on some of her favorite photos taken from on board the International Space Station, Earth Views brings the colors and textures of our planet to quilts and other fabrics-based art projects. Nyberg has also designed patterns based on the star she sewed in orbit and her view out of the cupola.
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Starliner OFT-2 docks: Boeing's CST-100 Starliner crew spacecraft has docked to the International Space Station for the first time. The uncrewed capsule, flying on Boeing's second orbital flight test (OFT-2), linked up with the forward-facing port on the station's Harmony node on Friday (May 20), a day after its launch. The docking marks a major step towards the Starliner flying astronauts.
Mars missions land on UN stamps: Three countries' ongoing missions at Mars are the focus of a new set of postage stamps issued by the United Nations Postal Administration. The six commemoratives and three souvenir sheets celebrate the UAE's Hope probe, China's Tianwen 1 orbiter, lander and Zhurong rover; and United States' Mars 2020 Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter.
Endeavour endeavor: Things are looking up at the Los Angeles home of space shuttle Endeavour, or at least will be soon. After 10 years displaying the retired orbiter alone, the California Science Center is ready to begin building the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center and with it, Endeavour's launchpad-like exhibit. The groundbreaking for the new museum is scheduled for Wednesday, June 1.
Enter player three: The ongoing space race between the United States and Soviet Union gains an unexpected new entrant in the third season of "For All Mankind," set for debut on June 10. Apple TV+ has released a trailer for the new season, providing a first extended look at the three way race to Mars in this alternate space history series.
Apavlova 14: NASA's space food menu will soon include a dessert inspired by a moon-themed meringue. The dish was the judges' favorite on Thursday's (May 5) episode of "Top Chef: Houston." Buddha Lo's "Apavlova 14" was the cheftestant's take on Apollo 14 astronaut Alan Shepard's lunar golf swing. Featuring white chocolate golf balls and moon rocks made of freeze-dried meringue, Lo's creation will be adapted for spaceflight by NASA's food lab.
Zippy and Etta: A plush turtle and a small monkey served as the zero-g indicators — or rather, singular indicator — aboard SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft Freedom on Wednesday (April 27). The Crew-4 astronauts had two of their daughters pick out the toys, named "Zippy" and "Etta" respectively, for personal reasons. The dolls also represent all four crewmates' astronaut classes and their nicknames.
Crew-4 launches: NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines and Jessica Watkins, along with ESA's Samantha Cristoforetti, lifted off for the International Space Station on Wednesday (April 27). Flying on board SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft "Freedom," the four Crew-4 astronauts will dock and then join the Expedition 67 crew for six months of science research on the space station.
Ax-1 splashes down: After getting a bonus five days on the International Space Station while waiting for the winds to subside at their primary and backup landing sites, the Axiom Mission-1 (Ax-1) crew safely splashed down Monday (April 25) off the coast of Florida. Ax-1 commander (and former NASA astronaut) Michael Lopez-Alegria, Larry Connor, Mark Pathy and Eytan Stibbe returned to Earth on SpaceX's Dragon Endeavour with the results of 25 science experiments they completed during the private mission.
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