Wakata becomes Japan's first space station commander
Koichi Wakata took command of the International Space Station on Sunday to become the first Japanese astronaut to lead an expedition crew aboard the orbiting complex.
 FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
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SpaceX fires Falcon 9 rocket engines for prelaunch check
SpaceX fired up the nine-engine first stage of a Falcon 9 rocket Saturday in a major preflight rehearsal before the March 16 launch of nearly 5,000 pounds of experiments and supplies to the International Space Station.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
OUR FALCON ARCHIVE
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A chat with Bob Twiggs, father of the CubeSat
Two university professors never expected their idea to expand aerospace engineering education outside of the classroom would help democratize access to space, but the CubeSat revolution shows no signs of stopping, with everyone from Silicon Valley start-ups to intelligence agencies taking notice. Professor Bob Twiggs, one of the CubeSat co-founders, shares his thoughts on the past and future of the miniature satellites.
READ MORE
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Teams deploy to Kazakhstan for Soyuz landing
As diplomatic tensions flare over Russia's armed incursion into Ukraine, preparations for Monday's landing of two Russian cosmonauts and an American astronaut continue unabated as recovery crews converge on the Kazakhstan touchdown zone.
FULL STORY
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Astronomers surprised SOFIA fell under budget axe
NASA's proposed budget for 2015 would slash funding for a U.S.-German airborne infrared observatory unless international partners or other institutions supply money to keep the sophisticated astronomy platform in the sky.
FULL STORY
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SpaceX, ULA spar over military contracting
In the latest skirmish in an escalating debate over sky rocketing military launch costs, SpaceX founder and rocket builder Elon Musk told lawmakers Wednesday that allowing his company to launch high-priority military payloads would save taxpayers billions of dollars by opening the national security launch market to competition and innovation.
FULL STORY
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Cassini continues pulling back Titan's hazy veil
NASA's Cassini spacecraft, in the final months of its first decade spiraling around Saturn, zipped past the moon Titan on Thursday for the 100th time, continuing an unbroken string of flybys of one of the most Earth-like worlds in the known universe.
FULL STORY
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Bolden downplays impact of Ukraine crisis on NASA
The Obama administration's $17.5 billion budget request for NASA in fiscal 2015 will maintain American leadership on the high frontier, agency Administrator Charles Bolden said Tuesday, urging Congress to fully fund development of commercial manned spacecraft to end U.S. reliance on Russia to ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station.
FULL STORY
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Japan moves forward with replacement for H-2A rocket
Armed with an initial tranche of government funding for a next-generation rocket, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency plans to partner with a private company to lead development of a launcher to replace Japan's H-2A rocket by the early 2020s.
FULL STORY
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Proposed NASA budget keeps funding flat in 2015
The White House's 2015 budget request for NASA submitted to Congress on Tuesday would keep the agency's human spaceflight programs, the James Webb Space Telescope and Mars exploration on track while investing in future missions to Jupiter's moon Europa and a flagship infrared space telescope.
FULL STORY
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Earth observation satellites deployed from space station
A record release of 33 CubeSats from the International Space Station ended Friday after a methodical series of deployments of miniature Earth imaging satellites for San Francisco-based Planet Labs Inc.
FULL STORY
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Falcon 9 moves closer to certification by Air Force
The first launch of SpaceX's upgraded Falcon 9 rocket in September will count as one of the three successful flights to certify the launcher to carry the U.S. military's most valuable payloads into orbit, despite a glitch with the rocket's upper stage engine during a demonstration maneuver after deployment of a Canadian research payload, the Air Force announced last week.
FULL STORY
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ExoMars contractor pressing on despite funding gap
The lead builder of Europe's ExoMars rover, the British division of Airbus Defence and Space, has started procuring critical components for the Mars mission as the European Space Agency culls the continent to close a funding gap.
FULL STORY
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Landmark weather satellite blasts off from Japan
Japan launched a $1.2 billion joint satellite mission with NASA on Thursday to measure global rain and snowfall, filling coverage gaps and anchoring an international orbital network to supply scientists and forecasters a radar-like snapshot of global precipitation every three hours.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTOS
IMAGES: H-2A ROLLOUT
PREVIEW STORY
LAUNCH TIMELINE
H-2A ROCKET CUTAWAY
NASA PRESS KIT - (.pdf download)
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NASA vows to fix problems that led to spacesuit leak
A fundamental misunderstanding of how water behaves in the cooling system of a spacesuit operating in weightlessness, combined with institutional complacency and a perceived pressure to avoid delays, resulted in a frightening, potentially fatal close call last summer when water flooded a spacewalker's helmet outside the International Space Station, NASA managers said Wednesday.
FULL STORY
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Scientists announce 715 planets found by Kepler
A statistical analysis of data collected by NASA's Kepler space telescope has confirmed the discovery of 715 newly-found planets orbiting 305 stars, pushing to total number of known planets beyond Earth's solar system to nearly 1,700, researchers announced Wednesday.
FULL STORY
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Air Force general reveals space surveillance program
The U.S. Air Force plans to launch two space surveillance spacecraft into high-altitude orbits later this year to monitor satellite traffic in the congested geosynchronous belt 22,300 miles above Earth, the head of Space Command has announced.
FULL STORY
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Europe's first Sentinel satellite shipped to Kourou
The first satellite in the European Union's long-awaited Copernicus Earth observation program arrived in French Guiana on Monday to prepare for liftoff on top of a Soyuz rocket in early April.
FULL STORY
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Taurus rocket on the market with new name, upgrades
Orbital Sciences Corp. is revamping its Taurus rocket with expertise and technology from the company's Minotaur launcher to deliver six high-resolution Earth observation satellites to orbit for start-up Skybox Imaging in late 2015.
FULL STORY
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Curiosity adds backward driving to repertoire
Engineers have started driving the Curiosity rover in reverse on Mars in a bid to reduce wear on the robot's six wheels, which show damage from climbing over sharp rocks on its trek across the red planet.
FULL STORY
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Landing legs to fly aboard next Falcon 9 rocket
The next Falcon 9 rocket, scheduled to blast off in March on a space station resupply flight, will sport a landing gear to take the next leap in making the commercial launcher reusable, according to SpaceX officials.
FULL STORY
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Europe to build planet-hunting observatory
The European Space Agency has selected an observatory for launch in the next decade to stare at up to a million nearby stars for signs of habitable worlds and probe their size, mass and composition.
FULL STORY
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Launch photo gallery of the 25th Delta 4 rocket
Check out our photo gallery from Thursday night's successful United Launch Alliance Delta 4 rocket flight that delivered a a Global Positioning System satellite into space.
IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY
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This is the United Launch Alliance highlights film from Thursday's Delta 4 rocket flight from Cape Canaveral that deployed a GPS satellite.
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New GPS satellite put into orbit by Delta 4 rocket
Igniting a surge of three Global Positioning System satellite launches in the next five months, a Delta 4 rocket blazed a trail of fire and light into the Florida sky Thursday night.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER - live coverage!
IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY
IMAGES: PRESS SITE VIEW OF LAUNCH
IMAGES: ULA PHOTO GALLERY
IMAGES: GANTRY ROLLBACK
PREVIEW STORY
LAUNCH INFORMATION - (.pdf download)
DELTA 4 FACT SHEET - (.pdf download)
PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS - (.pdf download)
IMAGES: MISSION PATCHES
OUR DELTA ARCHIVE
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Cygnus resupply mission ends over South Pacific
One day after its release from the International Space Station, the first operational Orbital Sciences Corp. Cygnus resupply craft re-entered the atmosphere Wednesday and burned up over the South Pacific Ocean.
MISSION STATUS CENTER
IMAGES: CYGNUS DEPARTS SPACE STATION
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LADEE star trackers record glimpse of the moon
The LADEE lunar atmospheric probe has returned its first views of the moon's surface as it enters the second half of its research mission, NASA announced last week.
FULL STORY - with images!
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Commercial cargo carrier departs space station
A commercial Cygnus cargo-carrying spacecraft departed the International Space Station on Tuesday, heading for a fiery finale over the Pacific Ocean to help clear the outpost of trash at the conclusion of the first operational resupply run by Orbital Sciences Corp.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
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Wheel concerns prompt new route for Mars rover
Planners in charge of plotting the course of NASA's Curiosity rover, which is trekking toward a massive mountain on the red planet, have selected a route with fewer rock hazards in lieu of alternate paths that could exacerbate damage to the robot's wheels.
FULL STORY
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Take a virtual tour of the Chang'e 3 lunar landing site
China's robotic moon landing mission, which arrived there two months ago, has produced the digital era's first high-resolution images from the lunar surface. Take a look around China's robotic lunar outpost in this set of panoramas and mosaics provided to Spaceflight Now.
IMAGES: PAN AROUND THE LANDING SITE
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Lunar rover awake after near-death experience
China's Yutu moon rover woke up this week and radioed Earth after worries the mobile research platform would succumb to frigid temperatures during the two-week lunar night, but officials say the robot is still malfunctioning.
FULL STORY
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Proton rocket boosts Turkish satellite to orbit
A Turkish telecommunications satellite launched aboard an International Launch Services Proton rocket Friday to begin several decades of service for government and commercial users.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
IMAGES: PROTON ROLLS OUT AT BAIKONUR
LAUNCH TIMELINE
OUR COMMERCIAL PROTON ARCHIVE
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New GPS satellite scheduled for launch Feb. 20
The final reviews are underway ahead of next week's Delta 4 rocket launch carrying a replacement satellite for the Global Positioning System. Liftoff is planned for Thursday night at 8:40 p.m. EST.
MISSION STATUS CENTER
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Mars rover sees Earth as brilliant evening star
Reminiscent of the iconic pale blue dot photograph from the Voyager 1 space probe, the Curiosity Mars rover has sent home another cosmic postcard showing the Earth hanging over the rugged Martian horizon as an evening star.
FULL STORY - with images!
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Return of the workhorse
A quarter-century since its first launch Friday, preparations are underway to end a mini-hiatus and return to the business of launching Delta 2 rockets, if only for a little while longer.
FULL STORY
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Sochi snapshots from space
As the Winter Olympics ramp up in Sochi, satellites and astronauts have glimpsed at the Russian resort city and detected the unmistakable mark left by the games.
IMAGES: SOCHI FROM SPACE
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SpaceX on pace for March launch to space station
Juggling flight delays and busy skies with the skill of seasoned air traffic controllers, International Space Station managers have approved the launch date for SpaceX's next cargo resupply mission for March 16.
FULL STORY
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Ariane 5's evening blastoff in video and photos
Thursday night's successful weather-delayed launch of the European Ariane 5 rocket put two communications satellites in orbit. Review the flight with a video replay and photos from around the French Guiana space base and a remarkable sighting from the International Space Station.
IMAGES: ARIANE 5 BLASTS OFF
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Critical climate sensor activated on new satellite
Scientists are happy with observations from a fresh sensor swiftly prepared for launch aboard a U.S. Air Force satellite last year to fill a gap in data on the sun's brightness, a crucial kernel of information for climate change research.
FULL STORY
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United Launch Alliance preparing for next Atlas 5
Assembly of a Atlas 5 rocket kicked off Friday morning at Cape Canaveral to stack a powerful version of the vehicle launching next month.
FULL STORY
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Lucid and Ross selected for U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame
Two distinguished former NASA astronauts -- Shannon Lucid and Jerry Ross -- will be inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame as the 2014 class, officials announced Friday.
FULL STORY
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Ariane 5 rocket blasts off after weather delay
Dual payloads to broadcast television and broadband signals for Asia Broadcast Satellite and French and Italian security forces rocketed into orbit on an Ariane 5 rocket Thursday on Arianespace's landmark 250th launch.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
PREVIEW STORY
IMAGES: ARIANE 5 ARRIVES AT LAUNCH PAD
LAUNCH TIMELINE
ARIANE 5 DIAGRAM
ARIANESPACE PRESS KIT - (.pdf download)
OUR ARIANE ARCHIVE
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Fresh crater caught on camera aboard Mars orbiter
The high-resolution mapping telescope on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has monitored the changing Martian landscape for more nearly eight years, but a fresh impact crater seen in an image released Wednesday is one of the most dramatic scientists have ever discovered.
FULL STORY
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GPS satellite mounted atop booster for Feb. 20 launch
Beginning a slate of three launches in five months to fortify the Global Positioning System, the first craft was mounted atop its Delta 4 booster rocket Wednesday for liftoff Feb. 20.
FULL STORY
LAUNCH INFORMATION - (.pdf download)
DELTA 4 FACT SHEET - (.pdf download)
IMAGES: MISSION PATCHES
OUR DELTA ARCHIVE
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Tracking and Data Relay Satellite arrives in orbit
NASA's newest communications relay satellite, launched from Cape Canaveral last month, has maneuvered itself to geosynchronous orbit and deployed its antennas and power-generating solar arrays as planned.
FULL STORY
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Russian cargo craft delivers supplies to space station
Russia launched a Progress resupply freighter Wednesday on a six-hour journey to the International Space Station, delivering nearly 3 tons of fuel and supplies to the orbiting scientific research laboratory after a smooth automated rendezvous.
FULL STORY
IMAGES: LAUNCH AND DOCKING GALLERY
PREVIEW STORY - with images!
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Exoplanet probe leads pack of ESA mission candidates
A space-based observatory to hunt for habitable planets around other stars is the leading candidate to win the financial backing of the European Space Agency later this month.
FULL STORY
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SpaceX-launched telecom payload enters service
After gambling on SpaceX's first launch beyond low Earth orbit, Luxembourg-based satellite operator SES is reaping the rewards with a newly-operational television broadcasting satellite shot into space from Cape Canaveral in December.
FULL STORY
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Four Delta 4-Heavy rockets part of ULA block buy deal
There will be 28 launches of Atlas 5 and Delta 4 rockets enabled through the new block buy, including four Heavy rockets, with the three dozen cores purchased by the Pentagon.
FULL STORY
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Build-up complete for next Ariane 5 rocket
Ready for its first launch of the year in early February, a European Ariane 5 rocket has been capped with a pair of communications satellites for the Asia-Pacific and the French and Italian militaries.
MISSION STATUS CENTER
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Eleven years since we lost space shuttle Columbia
Columbia and seven astronauts were lost 11 years ago Saturday as the shuttle disintegrated above Texas just minutes from the planned landing at the Kennedy Space Center.
FULL STORY
'COMM CHECK' CHAPTER ONE
MISSION COVERAGE ARCHIVE
OUR JOURNAL FROM FEB. 1, 2003
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NASA to buy more Soyuz seats for station crews
NASA announced this week its intention to purchase six more seats aboard Russian Soyuz spacecraft for U.S. astronauts bound for the International Space Station.
FULL STORY
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NASA moon probe captures fleeting view of sister craft
Coupling a fortuitous orbital alignment with meticulous planning, a camera aboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter caught a smeared glimpse of another moon probe in an image released Wednesday.
FULL STORY
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Delta 4 rocket engine cleared for Feb. 20 launch
The next launch of a Global Positioning System satellite is back on track after engineers gained fresh insight into the circumstances surrounding a previous GPS flight and its low-thrust condition on the upper stage.
FULL STORY
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ESA says Rosetta in good shape after space snooze
A first look at the European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft after its reactivation last week shows the probe endured an unprecedented power-saving hibernation with few problems, giving engineers confidence the mission can continue the final leg of its decade-long pursuit of a little-known comet thought to harbor the building blocks of life.
FULL STORY
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Mechanical anomaly raises concern for Chinese rover
China's moon rover suffered a mechanical anomaly before going to sleep Saturday at the onset of the two-week lunar night, according to state media reports.
FULL STORY
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ULA signs deal to deliver three-dozen booster cores
A blockbuster rocket-buying agreement has been signed between the Air Force and United Launch Alliance, the supplier of boosters for national security spaceflight.
FULL STORY
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Camera glitch persists after re-installation on spacewalk
Cosmonauts Oleg Kotov and Sergey Ryazanskiy successfully re-installed a high-resolution video camera on the hull of the International Space Station Monday, but a problem of some sort prevented a second, lower-resolution camera from sending telemetry to the ground.
FULL STORY
PREVIEW STORY
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Sierra Nevada books first launch for 'space SUV'
Sierra Nevada Corp., one of the companies tapped by NASA to develop a commercial crew carrier for the International Space Station, has reserved a slot on United Launch Alliance's Atlas 5 rocket manifest for an unpiloted test flight in late 2016.
FULL STORY
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Atlas and Delta rockets have packed slate of launches
It's one completed, 14 flights to go this year for United Launch Alliance and its fleet of Atlas and Delta rocket families.
FULL STORY
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Opportunity rover marks 10 years on the red planet
NASA's solar-powered Opportunity Mars rover, designed to operate for just 90 days on the red planet's cold, dust-shrouded surface, celebrates 10 years of exploration Friday, enduring a few age-related aches and pains and the occasional "senior moment" but still making valuable observations as it creeps along the rim of an ancient crater.
FULL STORY
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Thursday night's Atlas 5 launch in photos
Rocketing away from Cape Canaveral with a NASA communications satellite, an Atlas 5 launcher soared into a remarkably clear night sky Thursday, offering the perfect opportunity for dazzling photography.
IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY
IMAGES: ULA LAUNCH PHOTOS
IMAGES: ATLAS 5 ON LAUNCH PAD
IMAGES: ROLLOUT PHOTO GALLERY
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Atlas rocket puts up NASA communications spacecraft
A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket topped with a NASA science-relay satellite sped into space Thursday night, lighting up Florida's Space Coast with a raucous liftoff show.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
PREVIEW STORY
LAUNCH TIMELINE
GROUND TRACK MAP
THE HISTORY OF TDRSS
PDF: LAUNCH INFO SHEET
PDF: PHOTOGRAPHY GUIDE
LINK: VIEWING DIRECTIONS
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Additional coverage for subscribers:
 VIDEO:
TDRS L LAUNCH DOWNLOAD
VIDEO:
LAUNCH CAMERA REPLAYS DOWNLOAD
VIDEO:
ATLAS/TDRS L PREVIEW DOWNLOAD
VIDEO:
ROCKET ROLLOUT TO LAUNCH PAD DOWNLOAD
VIDEO:
TIME-LAPSE OF THE ROLLOUT DOWNLOAD
VIDEO:
PRE-LAUNCH PRESS CONFERENCE DOWNLOAD
VIDEO:
NARRATED PREVIEW OF ATLAS FLIGHT DOWNLOAD
VIDEO:
PROCESSING OF TDRS L SATELLITE DOWNLOAD
VIDEO:
ATLAS FIRST STAGE ERECTED DOWNLOAD
VIDEO:
CENTAUR UPPER STAGE HOISTED DOWNLOAD
VIDEO:
TDRS L CLEANROOM MEDIA DAY DOWNLOAD
VIDEO:
ENCAPSULATION OF SATELLITE INTO FAIRING DOWNLOAD
VIDEO:
SATELLITE MOUNTED ATOP ATLAS 5 ROCKET DOWNLOAD
VIDEO:
ANIMATION OF THE TDRS SPACECRAFT DOWNLOAD
VIDEO:
TDRS COMMUNICATIONS OVERVIEW DOWNLOAD
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Morpheus lander cruises through initial flight tests
With four legs, a methane-fueled rocket engine, bulbous propellant tanks and a coating of silver insulation, NASA's Morpheus prototype lander looks a vehicle built for space and not Earth's atmosphere.
FULL STORY
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ESA chief says Orion service module to be ready in 2017
The head of the European Space Agency says he has promised NASA the service module for the Orion crew exploration capsule will be delivered on time for an unmanned test flight by the end of 2017 despite problems with mass and development delays.
FULL STORY
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Rosetta's comet chase is on
Fresh out of an unprecedented power-saving sleep mode, Europe's comet-chasing Rosetta spacecraft awakened and phoned home Monday on the way to an enigmatic ball of rock and ice for a daring close-up inspection later this year.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
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Officials hope 2014 is a comeback year for Proton
With a backlog of 14 missions worth more than $1 billion, International Launch Services has up to a half-dozen commercial Proton rocket missions planned this year as the U.S.-based firm fills its manifest for 2015.
FULL STORY
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Info sheet and photography guide for TDRS launch
Introducing our new Info Sheet and photography guide on this week's Atlas 5 rocket launch from Cape Canaveral. A one-stop download for the facts you need to know before Thursday's liftoff carrying NASA's TDRS L satellite:
PDF: LAUNCH INFO SHEET
PDF: PHOTOGRAPHY GUIDE
LINK: VIEWING DIRECTIONS
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President Obama signs $17.6 billion NASA budget
President Barack Obama signed a budget measure Friday giving NASA more than $17.6 billion for the year, fully funding the space agency's heavy-lift Space Launch System and Orion exploration capsule while falling short of NASA's request to pay for commercial space taxis.
FULL STORY
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Second spacewalk planned to install UrtheCast cameras
Russian cosmonauts will step outside the International Space Station later this month for a second try to set up a pair of Earth observation cameras after a cabling issue inside the complex cut short a spacewalk in December.
FULL STORY
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Schedule for full-up Orion test flight to be reassessed
Overweight and struggling with design delays, the European-built service module for the Orion crew exploration vehicle may not be ready for a much-anticipated test flight by the end of 2017.
FULL STORY
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Orbital Sciences plans upgrades to cargo system
Orbital Sciences Corp. officials say the Obama administration's endorsement of a life extension for the International Space Station will allow for technical upgrades and cost reductions for the company's commercial resupply service.
FULL STORY
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European Space Agency's Gaia mission settles in at L2
The star-surveying Gaia observatory completed a tricky maneuver Tuesday to park itself nearly a million miles from Earth, arriving at a remote operating post to begin scanning the galaxy to plot the locations and motions of a billion stars.
FULL STORY
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NASA satellite attached to booster rocket for launch
NASA's next-generation communications satellite was mounted atop the Atlas 5 rocket Monday, kicking off the final days of preparations to send the science-relay spacecraft into orbit.
FULL STORY
IMAGES: SPACECRAFT ENCAPSULATED
IMAGES: TDRS L IN CLEANROOM
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SpaceX snags deal to launch Japanese telecom satellite
Fresh off back-to-back launches of commercial communications satellites, SpaceX has booked a Japanese payload for a Falcon 9 flight in late 2015 likely to be launched from Cape Canaveral.
FULL STORY
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Cygnus cargo ship makes space station delivery
A commercial Cygnus spaceship finished a three-day pursuit of the International Space Station on Sunday, delivering nearly 2,800 pounds of supplies, fresh fruit, experiments and gifts to reinforce the orbiting laboratory's stockpiles.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
IMAGES: CYGNUS ARRIVES AT SPACE STATION
VIDEO: EXCLUSIVE VIEW INSIDE CYGNUS MCC
VIDEO: CYGNUS TEAM AFTER CAPTURE
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Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO:
CYGNUS RENDEZVOUS AND BERTHING AT ISS DOWNLOAD
VIDEO:
ORB-1 LAUNCH TO INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION DOWNLOAD
VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAYS FROM OTHER CAMERA ANGLES DOWNLOAD
VIDEO:
PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE DOWNLOAD
VIDEO:
ROCKET ROLLOUT TO THE LAUNCH PAD DOWNLOAD
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SpaceShipTwo achieves highest flight to date
Virgin Galactic, the suborbital space tourism venture founded by Richard Branson, flew the reusable SpaceShipTwo rocket plane higher than ever before on a test flight Friday over California's Mojave Desert.
FULL STORY
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Curiosity rover spotted by Mars orbiter's hi-res camera
A high-resolution camera mounted on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has collect imagery showing the Curiosity rover's trek across Gale Crater toward a three-mile-high mountain.
IMAGES: ROVER SEEN FROM ORBIT
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Commercial cargo mission launched from Virginia
Delayed one day by cold weather and another day by concern about space radiation, an Orbital Sciences Corp. Antares rocket carrying a commercially developed cargo ship blasted off Thursday and climbed into orbit, kicking off the company's first operational flight to deliver supplies and equipment to the International Space Station.
FULL STORY
IMAGES: LIFTOFF PHOTOS FROM PRESS SITE
IMAGES: ANTARES ROLLOUT
PREVIEW STORY
COUNTDOWN TIMELINE
LAUNCH TIMELINE
LAUNCH VISIBILITY MAP
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Europe eyes cooperation on Dream Chaser space plane
Sierra Nevada Corp. is holding preliminary technical discussions with the European Space Agency and the German space agency on a potential collaborative partnership on the company's Dream Chaser space plane, a piloted orbital spaceship being developed for NASA's commercial space taxi program, officials said Wednesday.
FULL STORY
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Space station life extension approved by White House
The Obama administration has given NASA the go-ahead to operate the International Space Station through at least 2024, the agency announced Wednesday, allowing government and private-sector researchers to count on at least another decade of operations, officials said.
FULL STORY
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SpaceX kicks off the year with launch of Thai satellite
Launching for the second time in five weeks, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral on Monday and successfully put a broadcasting satellite in a high-altitude orbit for a Thai communications operator.
FULL STORY
IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY
IMAGES: FALCON 9 POISED FOR LAUNCH
MISSION STATUS CENTER
PREVIEW STORY
LAUNCH TIMELINE
MISSION PRESS KIT (pdf download)
OUR FALCON ARCHIVE
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Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO:
LAUNCH AS SEEN FROM THE NASA CAUSEWAY DOWNLOAD
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GSLV soars to space with Indian cryogenic engine
India's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle put a 2.1-ton communications satellite in orbit Sunday, boosting prospects for the medium-class launcher after a spate of mishaps in recent years.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
IMAGES: GSLV LIFTS OFF
PREVIEW STORY
LAUNCH TIMELINE
MISSION OVERVIEW (pdf download)
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TDRS L spacecraft readied
for mid-January launch
The next-generation NASA science-relay satellite is being prepped for shrouding in the bullet-shaped nose cone that will shield it during launch Jan. 23.
FULL STORY
THE HISTORY OF TDRSS
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Revered Spirit rover landed on Mars a decade ago
Ten years ago Friday, the Spirit rover made an airbag-cushioned landing on Mars to begin a six-year exploration of Gusev Crater, outlasting even the most enthusiastic of prognostications from the mission's engineering and science teams. You are invited to relive Spirit's landing on Jan. 3, 2004, with our archived coverage.
IMAGES: SPIRIT'S BEST SNAPSHOTS
SPIRIT LANDING STATUS CENTER
MARS EXPLORATION ROVER COVERAGE
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Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO:
SPIRIT LANDING HIGHLIGHTS PLAY
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Freezing forecast forces Antares launch delay
Orbital Sciences has pushed back next week's launch of a commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station by at least one day to Wednesday to dodge frigid temperatures expected on Virginia's Eastern Shore.
FULL STORY
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Falcon 9 rocket launch delayed to next week
SpaceX has delayed the launch of a Thai communications satellite from Friday until at least Monday, according to the U.S. Air Force. The launch from Cape Canaveral is supposed to kick off a busy 2014 manifest for SpaceX.
FULL STORY
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Read our archive for past news.
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This beautiful one piece set features the Apollo program emblem surrounded by the individual mission logos.
The historic first orbital flight by an American is marked by this commemorative patch for John Glenn and Friendship 7.
The crew emblem for the final space shuttle mission is available in our store. Get this piece of history!
This special commemorative patch marks the retirement of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. Available in our store!
This embroidered patch commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Program. The design features the space shuttle Columbia's historic maiden flight of April 12, 1981.
The official patches from Apollo 1, the shuttle Challenger and Columbia crews are available in the store.
