September 2016 – Page 3 – Spaceflight Now

Russians delay next crew launch to station

September 17, 2016 William Harwood

The next launch of a Soyuz spacecraft carrying three space station fliers has been delayed indefinitely after testing at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan revealed an unspecified technical problem, the Russian space agency announced Saturday.

Photos: Gantry rolled back to reveal Atlas 5 rocket for launch

September 16, 2016 Justin Ray

The 8-million-pound mobile service tower is retracted from around the Atlas 5 rocket, revealing the 189-foot-tall vehicle for liftoff from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, carrying the commercial WorldView 4 Earth-imaging satellite.

Vega rocket hauls up quintet of Earth observation satellites

September 16, 2016 Stephen Clark

Europe’s solid-fueled Vega booster vaulted away from a launch pad in the South American jungle late Thursday and deftly delivered five sharp-eyed Earth observation satellites into two different orbits for the Peruvian government and a Google-owned mapping company.

Atlas 5/WorldView 4 launch timeline

September 15, 2016 Justin Ray

This is the ascent timeline to be followed by the Atlas 5 rocket’s ascent into orbit from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California with the commercial WorldView 4 Earth-imaging satellite for DigitalGlobe. Launch is scheduled for Friday at 11:30 a.m. local time (2:30 p.m. EDT; 1830 GMT).

Photos: Atlas 5 rocket on the pad with WorldView 4 satellite

September 15, 2016 Justin Ray

The United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket stands atop Space Launch Complex 3-East at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on the eve of Friday’s WorldView 4 mission.

Timeline for the Vega rocket’s seventh launch

September 15, 2016 Stephen Clark

Two orbits. Five satellites. Five upper stage burns. Follow the key events scheduled during the European Vega rocket’s launch of the PeruSat 1 high-resolution reconnaissance satellite and four commercial eyes-in-the-sky owned by Google’s Terra Bella imaging company.

Atlas 5 launch postponed by wildfire, Range availability until Sept. 26

September 15, 2016 Justin Ray

Sunday’s flight of the United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California was scrubbed due to a wildfire burning south of the pad. The launch delay allows crews to remain in place to battle the blaze. The lack of Range availability this week means the next launch try won’t come until Sept. 26.

China’s Tiangong 2 space lab successfully blasts off

September 15, 2016 Stephen Clark

The next stepping stone in China’s human spaceflight program launched Thursday, delivering a destination and living quarters to orbit for two astronauts preparing for liftoff next month on a planned 33-day expedition, the country’s longest space mission to date.

Live coverage: Vega rocket blasts off from French Guiana on commercial flight

September 15, 2016 Stephen Clark

A solid-fueled Vega rocket blasted off from French Guiana on Thursday with five Earth observation satellites for Peru and the Google subsidiary Terra Bella. The four-stage booster fired away from its tropical launch pad right on time at 9:43 p.m. EDT (0143 GMT Friday).

Google satellites, Peruvian payload stacked for launch on Vega rocket

September 14, 2016 Stephen Clark

Five Earth-imaging spacecraft for the Peruvian government and Google’s Terra Bella satellite subsidiary are enclosed inside the nose cone of a Vega rocket for liftoff Thursday from French Guiana.