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STS-1 anniversary event
This 25th anniversary celebration of the first space shuttle launch took place April 12 at Space Center Houston. Speakers included Johnson Space Center Director Mike Coats, NASA Administrator Mike Griffin, Congressman Tom DeLay, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, STS-1 commander John Young and pilot Bob Crippen.

 Dial-up: Part 1 | Part 2
 Broadband: Part 1 | 2

New lunar mission
During this NASA news conference on April 10, agency officials unveil the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS, that will launch piggyback with the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft in October 2008. LCROSS will use the launch vehicle's spent upper stage to crash into the moon's south pole in an explosive search for water.

 Dial-up | Broadband

LCROSS mission plan
Daniel Andrews, the LCROSS project manager from NASA's Ames Research Center, narrates this animation depicting the mission from launch through impact on the lunar surface.

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Taurus fails for OCO
Environmental satellite lost in launch failure
A Taurus rocket launching NASA's first environmental satellite dedicated to mapping atmospheric carbon dioxide failed to jettison its nose cone during launch on February 24, 2009, causing the vehicle to fall back to Earth.
   LAUNCH FAILURE STORY
   MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates!
   IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY
   IMAGES: MONDAY'S PHOTO GALLERY
   IMAGES: ROCKET'S LAUNCH CAMPAIGN
   OUR TAURUS ARCHIVE
Spaceflight Now Plus
Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO: TAURUS LAUNCH OF OCO SATELLITE FAILS PLAY
VIDEO: FAILURE DECLARED BY NASA LAUNCH DIRECTOR PLAY
VIDEO: POST-FAILURE NEWS BRIEFING PLAY

VIDEO: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TAURUS LAUNCH CAMPAIGN PLAY
VIDEO: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SATELLITE LAUNCH CAMPAIGN PLAY
VIDEO: PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY
VIDEO: MISSION SCIENCE PREVIEW BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO: ORBITING CARBON OBSERVATORY OVERVIEW PLAY
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Taurus launches ROCSAT 2
Taurus XL rocket launches Taiwan's new orbiting eye
The first Taurus XL rocket, a beefed up model of Orbital Sciences' small satellite launcher, darted into polar orbit May 20, deploying a Taiwanese spacecraft and potentially attracting customers for future missions.
   FULL STORY
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
   LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY
Taurus fails for OrbView-4/QuikTOMS
Taurus rocket fails to achieve Earth orbit
Two satellites that were supposed to give new perspectives of Earth never achieved orbit September 21 and likely fell into the Indian Ocean after a botched launch of Orbital Sciences' Taurus rocket from California.
   FULL STORY
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
   DETAILED LAUNCH TIMELINE
   ORBVIEW-4 FACT SHEET
   QUIKTOMS OVERVIEW RELEASE
Taurus
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   VIDEO: TAURUS LAUNCHES, GYRATES DURING STAGING QT or RV
   VIDEO: REPLAY VIEW OF GYRATION QT or RV
   MORE: COMPLETE SFN+ VIDEO INDEX

Taurus launches MTI
Taurus rocket launches experimental satellite
An Orbital Sciences Taurus rocket launched a research spacecraft for the U.S. Dept. of Energy on March 12 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. Officials report the satellite is healthy.
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
   LAUNCH VIDEO
Launch
Taurus launches Kompsat & Acrimsat
Taurus rocket carries two satellites to space
An Orbital Sciences Taurus rocket launched Korean and U.S. science satellites on December 21 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. Read a full report on the countdown and launch in Spaceflight Now's Mission Status Center.
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
Kompsat