File photo of a Hyperbola 1 rocket undergoing launch preparations. Credit: i-Space A small satellite launcher developed by the Chinese startup iSpace failed to place its Earth observing payload into orbit Friday, the third consecutive failure for the company’s Hyperbola 1 rocket. The solid-fueled Hyperbola 1 launcher took off from the Jiuquan space center in …
Chinese startup suffers third consecutive launch failure Read More »
GOES-18 full disk GeoColor image from May 5, 2022. This type of imagery combines data from multiple ABI channels to approximate what the human eye would see from space. Credit: NOAA NOAA released the first imagery from the new GOES-18 weather satellite that launched March 1 from Cape Canaveral, and confirmed the spacecraft’s main camera …
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The P120C first stage for the inaugural Vega C launch was transferred to the launch pad in French Guiana on April 15. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace Europe’s new Vega C launcher is on track for its inaugural flight from the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, during the second half of June, according to officials managing final …
A Long March 2D rocket lifts off with eight Jilin 1 Earth-imaging satellites. Credit: CASC China launched eight more microsatellites for the Jilin 1 high-resolution Earth observation constellation May 4, five days after a separate mission deployed five similar Jilin 1 payloads into orbit. The launches signal an uptick in the pace of satellite deployments …
China launches eight more Earth-imaging microsats Read More »
SpaceX’s recovery team prepares to lift the Dragon Endurance spacecraft from the Gulf of Mexico early Friday. Credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani Four astronauts returned to Earth from the International Space Station early Friday with a parachute-assisted splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida, the sixth crew launch or landing in support of …
Splashdown of SpaceX capsule caps busy season of space station crew rotations Read More »
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stands on pad 39A Thursday. Credit: Spaceflight Now SpaceX raised a Falcon 9 rocket vertical on pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center Thursday, ready for a pre-sunrise blastoff Friday with 53 more Starlink internet satellites, using a booster stage flying for a record-tying 12th time. Liftoff is set for …
SpaceX rolls out rocket for another Starlink deployment mission Read More »
NASA’s Psyche spacecraft inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Credit: NASA/Isaac Watson A U.S. military cargo plane delivered NASA’s Psyche spacecraft from California to the Kennedy Space Center last week, starting a three-month campaign to ready the asteroid explorer for liftoff on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket in …
Psyche asteroid explorer arrives at Kennedy Space Center for launch preps Read More »
A Chinese Long March 11 rocket launches April 30 from a barge in the East China Sea. Credit: CASC Two Chinese rockets, including one launched from an ocean-going platform in the East China Sea, deployed seven optical Earth-imaging satellites in a pair of successful missions last week. The missions Friday and Saturday were the 12th …
Rocket Lab’s Electron booster is covered in a new thermal coating for better protection during re-entry. Credit: Rocket Lab Rocket Lab called off the planned launch and recovery of an Electron booster Friday, preferring to wait for better wind and cloud cover conditions a few days from now. The next opportunity to launch the mission …
Rocket Lab waiting for ‘ideal’ weather before launch and recovery attempt Read More »
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket lands on a drone ship April 8 after launching the Ax-1 private crew mission. The same booster will be used again for the Starlink 4-16 mission west for liftoff April 29. Credit: SpaceX With a mission Friday to deploy more Starlink internet satellites, SpaceX will try to shave nearly a week …
SpaceX shooting for rocket turnaround record with next Starlink launch Read More »
