LightSail – Spaceflight Now

Rideshare mission for U.S. military confirmed as second Falcon Heavy launch

March 1, 2018 Stephen Clark

More than two dozen satellites from the U.S. military, NASA and research institutions will ride into orbit on SpaceX’s second Falcon Heavy rocket launch, a mission currently scheduled for liftoff in June, a military spokesperson said.

LightSail hailed as precursor for low-cost planetary missions

June 10, 2015 Stephen Clark

Managers in charge of the privately-funded LightSail solar sail in Earth orbit said Wednesday the success of the experiment is a step toward opening up the solar system to scores of modest science probes that could explore space at a fraction of the cost of traditional government-backed missions.

Satellite comes back to life, deploys solar sail on second try

June 7, 2015 Stephen Clark

Mission managers say the shoebox-sized LightSail satellite powered up its tiny deployment motor Sunday, and data from the diminutive spacecraft indicate its experimental solar sail unfurled in orbit hundreds of miles above Earth.

Ground team battling on-and-off communications with LightSail

June 6, 2015 Stephen Clark

After an up-and-down week of intermittent contact with the LightSail satellite, the tiny spacecraft radioed home Saturday, giving engineers hope to deploy the experiment’s solar sail as soon as Sunday.

LightSail deployment set for this week

June 1, 2015 Stephen Clark

The Planetary Society’s LightSail spacecraft is back in contact with ground controllers after nine days of radio silence triggered by a suspected software glitch, and engineers plan to send the command to unfurl the tiny satellite’s solar sail as soon as Wednesday.

Video: Fourth X-37B launch highlights

May 22, 2015 Justin Ray

This is the launch highlights reel from United Launch Alliance of the Atlas 5 rocket carrying the fourth mission of the Air Force’s X-37B spaceplane.

Photos: Pad cameras capture Atlas 5 launch

May 21, 2015 Justin Ray

The United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket with the Air Force’s X-37B spaceplane lifts off at 11:05 a.m. EDT from Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Photos: Atlas 5 sets sail to orbit

May 21, 2015 Justin Ray

A collection of pad photos from the ULA Atlas 5 rocket launch of the X-37B spaceplane on its fourth mission taken by photographer Walter Scriptunas II.

Launch story: X-37B embarks on fourth voyage in orbit

May 20, 2015 Justin Ray

A robotic space shuttle with stubby wings, tail fins, its belly covered with black thermal tiles, clam-shell doors that swing open to reveal a payload bay and a solar array for ultralong-duration missions rode into orbit Wednesday on the fourth mission of the Air Force’s reusable X-37B spaceplane project.

Video: Liftoff of Atlas 5 with X-37B on program’s fourth flight

May 20, 2015 Justin Ray

A replay of the United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket launching the Air Force’s X-37B reusable spaceplane from Cape Canaveral, Florida.