September 2016 – Page 6 – Spaceflight Now

Photos: Atlas 5 rocket rolls out to launch asteroid sampling probe

September 7, 2016 Justin Ray

Poised to embark on a 7-year adventure to Asteroid Bennu and back, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx sample return spacecraft was moved to the launch pad today aboard its Atlas 5 rocket for liftoff Thursday evening.

Atlas 5/OSIRIS-REx launch timeline

September 7, 2016 Justin Ray

Follow the Atlas 5 rocket’s ascent from Cape Canaveral’s Complex 41 launch pad to send NASA’s OSIRIS-REx on an interplanetary trajectory to intercept Asteroid Bennu and bring back a pristine sample. Launch is scheduled for Thursday at 7:05 p.m. EDT (2305 GMT).

Soyuz spaceship lands in Kazakhstan

September 7, 2016 William Harwood

Less than a week after winding up a successful spacewalk, outgoing space station commander Jeff Williams, America’s most experienced astronaut, joined two Russian cosmonauts for a fiery return to Earth Tuesday, closing out a 172-day mission with an on-target landing in Kazakhstan.

Photos: Asteroid probe encapsulated, mounted atop Atlas 5 for launch

September 7, 2016 Justin Ray

Technicians inched the two halves of the Atlas 5’s aluminum nose cone around NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft to package the asteroid sample return probe, then moved the satellite to the rocket’s assembly building and hoisted it aboard the two-stage booster during the final days of August for the Sept. 8 launch.

SpaceX may turn to other launch pads when rocket flights resume

September 6, 2016 Stephen Clark

Ground crews could face months of cleanup and repairs to SpaceX’s primary launch pad at Cape Canaveral after a rocket explosion wrecked the facility last week, but officials said that other pads in Florida and California could support Falcon 9 flights when the booster is ready to blast off again.

Video: Atlas/OSIRIS-REx pre-launch and mission science press briefings

September 6, 2016 Justin Ray

Watch the Atlas 5 rocket and OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return spacecraft pre-launch news conference and the mission science briefing held on Launch-minus 2 days at the Kennedy Space Center.

Live coverage: Soyuz capsule brings home station crew

September 6, 2016 Stephen Clark

Soyuz commander Alexei Ovchinin, flight engineer Oleg Skripochka and outgoing space station skipper Jeff Williams returned to Earth on Tuesday with a parachute-assisted touchdown in Kazakhstan. Their Soyuz TMA-20M capsule undocked from the station at 2151 GMT (5:51 p.m. EDT) and landed at 0113 GMT (9:13 p.m. EDT).

Atlas 5 rocket cleared to launch NASA probe to Asteroid Bennu

September 6, 2016 Justin Ray

Mission leaders Tuesday gave approval for rollout of the United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket to its pad on Wednesday morning, leading to liftoff Thursday evening of a NASA probe to rendezvous with an asteroid and bring a sample back to Earth.

Station fliers set for return to Earth after 172-day mission

September 6, 2016 William Harwood

Less than a week after winding up a successful spacewalk, outgoing space station commander Jeff Williams, America’s most experienced astronaut, will join two Russian cosmonauts for a fiery descent to Earth Tuesday evening to close out a 172-day mission covering 2,752 orbits and 72.8 million miles since launch last March.

Spacecom to recoup value of lost satellite, could ask SpaceX for compensation

September 5, 2016 Stephen Clark

The Israeli company which owned a commercial communications satellite destroyed in an explosion last week at SpaceX’s launch pad in Florida will receive more than $200 million in payouts stemming from the incident, and hopes to purchase a replacement, officials said Monday.