321 Launch: Space news you may have missed over the past week

John McCarthy, Florida Today
·3 min read
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NASA’s Space Launch System rocket is photographed on Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center earlier this year. NASA is targeting Aug. 29 to launch the giant rocket on an around-the-moon trip.
NASA’s Space Launch System rocket is photographed on Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center earlier this year. NASA is targeting Aug. 29 to launch the giant rocket on an around-the-moon trip.

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Welcome to 321 Launch, Florida Today's wrapup of all the space new you might have missed this past week.

NASA targeting late August for Artemis I moon launch

Last week, on the 53rd anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, NASA announced that it was now targeting the morning of August 29 for the launch of its monstrous Space Launch System rocket and the agency's Artemis I mission to the moon.

In a briefing with reporters Jim Free, NASA associate administrator, said, "it's a special day, the anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing 53 years ago. It's really great to talk about this test flight to begin our Artemis program to go back to the moon."

The Artemis I mission slated to send an uncrewed Orion capsule around the moon and back is set to liftoff from Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Teams are confident that their work has positioned them to launch the Artemis I mission in late August. Two other possible launch opportunities were identified as backups, September 2 and September 5.

If NASA is unable to launch the SLS during that timeframe, the rocket would have to be rolled back to the VAB again for pre-launch work and would likely target another attempt no earlier than mid-October.

Startups look to beat SpaceX to Mars

A rendering of Impulse Space's Mars Cruise Vehicle and Mars Lander, both slated to launch on Relativity Space's future Terran R rocket no earlier than 2024.
A rendering of Impulse Space's Mars Cruise Vehicle and Mars Lander, both slated to launch on Relativity Space's future Terran R rocket no earlier than 2024.

Relativity Space, the 3D printing company set to launch its first mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station this year, has partnered with another startup to launch the first commercial payload to Mars.

Relativity and Impulse Space last week announced both companies would work together to launch the Mars Cruise Vehicle and Mars Lander on a Terran R rocket no earlier than 2024. Relativity produces 3D-printed Terran rockets, while Impulse aims to break into "last-mile" payload delivery for missions like those to Mars.

NASA picks SpaceX for next space telescope launch

SpaceX's three-core Falcon Heavy rocket will launch a new NASA space telescope from Florida in the coming years, the agency said in this week's announcement of the $255 million contract.

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, named after the first woman to hold an executive position at NASA, is slated to fly from Kennedy Space Center's pad 39A no earlier than October 2026. The roughly $255 million price tag includes launch-related costs; the telescope itself is expected to run up a tab between $3 and $4 billion.

Mattel to make collectible toys based on SpaceX rockets

Mattel, the global toy producer, has signed a multi-year deal to produce toys and collectibles based on the SpaceX family of space vehicles.

The creations will be released under the company's Matchbox brand of die-cast models. The catch, the toys won't be available for purchase until 2023.

SpaceX currently operates the Falcon family of rockets which includes the Falcon 9 and Heavy variants. It also operates the Dragon family of spacecraft for crew and cargo transportation to and from the International Space Station.

“At SpaceX, we believe that a future in which humanity is out among the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one in which we are not,” said Brian Bjelde, vice president at SpaceX in a press release.

Meanwhile SpaceX continues launching Starlink satellites

One week after its record-tying 31st launch of the year, SpaceX lifted another batch of 53 internet-beaming Starlink satellites to orbit from Kennedy Space Center on Sunday.

The Sunday morning Falcon 9 liftoff followed the company's Friday flight from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. It marked the company's 33rd mission in just seven months from its launch locations in Florida and California. Its previous record was 31 missions completed in 2021.

The uptick in rocket launches this year is due to the company's effort to populate its massive in-orbit network of Starlink internet satellites which has reached close to 3,000 after Sunday's 53rd Starlink mission.

A 25+ year veteran of FLORIDA TODAY, John McCarthy currently oversees the space team and special projects. Support quality local journalism by subscribing to FLORIDA TODAY. You can contact McCarthy at 321-752-5018 or jmccarthy@floridatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: 321 Launch: Space news you may have missed over the past week