May 2017 – Page 5 – Spaceflight Now

Photos: Falcon 9 rocket, fourth Inmarsat 5-series satellite prepared for launch

May 15, 2017 Stephen Clark

Engineers from SpaceX, Boeing and Inmarsat spent the last few weeks preparing a Falcon 9 rocket and the Inmarsat 5 F4 communications satellite for liftoff from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Live coverage: SpaceX succeeds in commercial satellite launch

May 15, 2017 Stephen Clark

A Boeing-built communications satellite lifted off at 7:21 p.m. EDT (2321 GMT) Monday on top of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The spacecraft will add to Inmarsat’s Global Xpress network linking airplanes, ships and other mobile terminals with broadband Internet and data services.

Blue Origin encounters setback in BE-4 engine testing

May 15, 2017 Stephen Clark

Blue Origin said Sunday that it lost a set of powerpack hardware for its BE-4 engine during a ground test mishap, dealing at least a minor setback to the development of a powerful U.S.-made propulsion system that United Launch Alliance says is the leading candidate to power the first stage of its next-generation Vulcan rocket.

Falcon 9 launch timeline with Inmarsat 5 F4

May 14, 2017 Stephen Clark

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket is set for liftoff from Cape Canaveral early Thursday, heading due east over the Atlantic Ocean to deliver the Inmarsat 5 F4 communications satellite into orbit 32 minutes later.

Falcon 9 set to launch Inmarsat satellite for in-flight wifi, mobile broadband

May 14, 2017 Stephen Clark

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket arrived at launch pad 39A on Florida’s Space Coast on Sunday, a day before liftoff with a powerhouse Inmarsat communications satellite designed to spread broadband beams connecting airline passengers, maritime crews and U.S. and international military units with Internet and data services.

NASA rules out crew on first SLS flight

May 12, 2017 William Harwood

NASA managers have ruled out putting a crew on board an Orion capsule atop the agency’s huge Space Launch System rocket for the gargantuan booster’s maiden flight in 2019, citing technical risks and higher costs, up to as much as $900 million, agency officials said Friday.

Astronauts complete shortened spacewalk outside International Space Station

May 12, 2017 Stephen Clark

Astronauts Peggy Whitson and Jack Fischer put on spacesuits Friday and headed outside the International Space Station for several repair and maintenance tasks, but the duo only completed part of their originally planned work after a leaky cooling umbilical delayed the start of their spacewalk.

After static fire, Falcon 9 prepares to meet Inmarsat payload

May 11, 2017 Stephen Clark

Ten days after the last liftoff from historic launch pad 39A in Florida, another SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket ignited its Merlin main engines for several seconds in a hold-down firing Thursday ahead of a planned expendable flight next week with an Inmarsat communications satellite.

Video: Falcon 9 hot fire

May 11, 2017 Justin Ray

The SpaceX launch team fired the Falcon 9 main engines at pad 39A today as a readiness test for next week’s Inmarsat satellite deployment flight.

Live coverage: Falcon 9 rocket set for launch Monday

May 11, 2017 Stephen Clark

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is set for launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday with a mobile broadband communications satellite for Inmarsat.