Live coverage of the countdown and launch of a Japanese H-2A rocket with the Himawari 9 weather satellite. Text updates will appear automatically below; there is no need to reload the page. Follow us on Twitter.
Mission Reports
Japanese probe readies for another possible touch-and-go on asteroid
Approaching the one-year anniversary since its arrival at asteroid Ryugu, Japan’s Hayabusa 2 spacecraft has deployed a target marker near an artificial crater created by an explosive charge in April, a guide post that could help the probe steer toward another pinpoint touchdown to collect a second batch of samples for return to Earth.
Mission Reports
Live coverage: Irma knocks out power at Kennedy Space Center
After making landfall in South Florida, Hurricane Irma moved north over the state before losing strength and being downgraded to a tropical storm. NASA safety officials report the Kennedy Space Center lost electricity and water pressure during the storm, but a team of emergency personnel at the spaceport is safe.
