Live coverage: European mini-shuttle back on Earth

An Ariane 5 rocket is poised for a rare overnight launch early Wednesday, and these photos show the 180-foot-tall launcher on the eve of liftoff with a multi-mission Eutelsat communications satellite.

The next Cygnus resupply mission to the International Space Station set for liftoff Wednesday from Virginia’s Eastern Shore will introduce new capabilities for the commercial cargo freighter, including a longer operating life enabled by fuel-saving gyroscopes to support an extended mission months after the spacecraft departs the International Space Station, Northrop Grumman officials said.

Europe’s fifth and final Automated Transfer Vehicle departed the International Space Station for the last time Saturday, closing out one of the European Space Agency’s flagship programs as the bus-sized spaceship heads for a destructive re-entry Sunday.