CBS News
International crew cleared for 3rd commercial flight to space station
After months of training and detailed planning, the most international crew yet to visit the International Space Station was cleared to blast off atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket Thursday to kick off a two-week research mission, the third fully commercial flight to the orbital outpost.
With retired NASA astronaut Michael López-Alegría and Italian co-pilot Walter Villadei at the controls, flanked by Turkish mission specialists Alper Gezeravci and Marcus Wandt of Sweden, the Falcon 9 was set for takeoff from historic pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center at 4:49 p.m. EST.
SpaceX
The launching originally was planned for Wednesday, but SpaceX ordered a 24-hour delay to complete a review of work to address a potential problem with the Crew Dragon capsule’s parachutes.
Launching directly into the plane of the space station’s orbit along a trajectory paralleling the East Coast of the United States, the Crew Dragon “Freedom” was expected to be released to fly on its own about 12 minutes after liftoff.
Along the way, the discarded Falcon 9 first stage, making its fifth flight, was programmed to fly itself back to landing at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
If all goes well, López-Alegría and Villadei will monitor an automated approach to the space station, catching up from behind and below to set up a docking at the lab’s forward port at 5:15 a.m. Saturday.
They’ll be welcomed aboard by the station’s current seven-member crew: Soyuz MS-24/70S commander Oleg Kononenko and his two crewmates, Nikolai Chub and NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara, along with NASA Crew-7 commander Jasmin Moghbeli, European Space Agency astronaut Andreas Mogensen, Japanese flier Satoshi Furukawa and cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov.
One of America’s most experienced astronauts, López-Alegría, 65, holds dual U.S.-Spanish citizenship and is a veteran of five previous spaceflights and 10 spacewalks. Now chief astronaut at Houston-based Axiom Space, he commanded the company’s first commercial flight to the ISS — Ax-1 — in 2022.
Asked if he has any plans to hang up his spacesuit after the Ax-3 mission, López-Alegría smiled and said he’ll fly as long as he’s allowed.
Axiom Space
“It’s a dream come true for me,” he told CBS News. “I will gladly continue to fly as long as the soul is willing, as long as the body is willing to do so. But seriously, this is really a privilege for somebody in my position to be able to go back to space, first of all, but especially to lead this very well-prepared and expertly trained group. It never gets old.”
During a planned 14-day stay aboard the station, the Ax-3 crew will carry out more than 30 microgravity experiments, most supplied by Italy, to learn more about the effects of weightlessness on a variety of physical and cognitive parameters.
In a lighter vein, the Italian company Barilla has provided ready-made pasta that will be heated up and taste tested “as part of an effort to develop a broader range of tasty foods in space for future space travelers,” according to Axiom.
Other research includes ways to use telemedicine to evaluate the health of astronauts in space, tests of a “smart flight suit” designed to “increase the psycho-physical comfort of the astronaut and to monitor medical data” and another project to test materials better able to shield astronauts from space radiation.
Once the experiments are complete, López-Alegría and his crewmates will strap back into their Crew Dragon and undock from the space station on Feb. 2 for a fiery plunge back to Earth and splashdown off the coast of Florida.
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CBS News
$100 million in federal funds released for North Carolina to rebuild roads, bridges damaged by Helene
Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Transportation released $100 million in emergency funds on Saturday for North Carolina to rebuild its roads and bridges damaged by Helene.
“We are providing this initial round of funding so there’s no delay getting roads repaired and reopened, and re-establishing critical routes,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a statement. “The Biden-Harris administration will be with North Carolina every step of the way, and today’s emergency funding to help get transportation networks back up and running safely will be followed by additional federal resources.”
The storm caused rampant flooding that has devastated several towns and killed more than 225 people – with CBS News confirming at least 114 people killed in North Carolina. There was more than 8 inches of rain across the western North Carolina mountains, with some areas seeing more than a foot.
Hundreds of roads across Western North Carolina remain closed, leading to an increase in air traffic as teams scour the region for survivors by air. Air traffic over Western North Carolina has increased by 300% due to relief efforts since the storm cleared, the Federal Aviation Administration and the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
Mudslides blocked Interstate 40 and other highways in North Carolina and about 400 roads were closed due to damage from Helene. Interstate 40 was damaged at several locations, the Department of Transportation said.
President Biden visited the Carolinas on Wednesday, surveying the flood damage by air from Greenville, South Carolina, to Asheville, North Carolina. Mr. Biden announced the federal government would cover “100%” of all debris removal and emergency protective measure costs in North Carolina for six months.
The Department of Transportation said these relief funds will allow the North Carolina Department of Transportation to act more quickly to fund eligible repairs to their damaged facilities.
Li Cohen and
contributed to this report.
CBS News
Tropical Storm Milton forms in Gulf; forecast to strengthen into hurricane headed toward Florida
Tropical Storm Milton has formed in the Gulf of Mexico and is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane headed toward Florida with possible impacts to its western coast, the National Hurricane Center said on Saturday. Maximum sustained winds are expected to be at 40 mph with higher gusts and Milton is currently moving north-northeast, NHC said in an advisory.
Milton is forecast to undergo a period of rapid intensification before it makes landfall as a Category 2 hurricane across Florida’s west coast, CBS News Miami reported.
The forecast comes a little more than a week after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida and across the Southeast, killing more than 200 people and causing immense destruction. President Biden on Thursday took an aerial tour of Florida’s Big Bend where Helene struck as a Category 4 storm. Hundreds of people are still missing and Mr. Biden said the work to rebuild will cost “billions of dollars” as communities suffer still without power, running water and passable roads.
NOAA
Milton is forecast to move across the southwestern Gulf of Mexico through Sunday night then across the south-central Gulf on Monday and Tuesday before reaching Florida’s west coast by the middle of the week, NHC said. Heavy rain is possible in the region starting Sunday into Monday, CBS Miami reported, and more rain and heavy winds will most likely arrive on Wednesday. Hurricane and storm surge watches will most likely be required for portions of Florida starting Sunday, the National Hurricane Center said.
Along with the heavy rainfall, the hurricane center said to expect risks of flooding.
Residents in the area should ensure they have a hurricane plan in place, the National Hurricane Center said, follow the advice of local officials and check back for forecast updates.
