October 2017 – Page 2 – Spaceflight Now

Video: Falcon 9 rocket raised vertical at pad 39A

October 29, 2017 Stephen Clark

On the eve of liftoff with a Korean communications satellite, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket was lifted upright Sunday at launch pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

NASA making steady progress on SLS mobile launch platform

October 29, 2017 Stephen Clark

Construction crews at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center are making steady progress outfitting the Space Launch System’s mobile platform with umbilical connections and access arms, and the walkway for astronauts to board the rocket is the most recent arrival at the Florida spaceport.

Korean communications craft installed on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket

October 29, 2017 Stephen Clark

A multipurpose communications satellite owned by a South Korean telecom company is set for liftoff Monday from Florida’s Space Coast aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 booster, and forecasters predict near-ideal conditions for a rocket launch.

Polar-orbiting weather satellite joined up with Delta 2 rocket in California

October 27, 2017 Stephen Clark

The first in NOAA’s new series of polar-orbiting weather satellites has been lifted atop United Launch Alliance’s second-to-last Delta 2 rocket on a launch pad in California, ready for encapsulation and final checkouts ahead of a predawn launch set for Nov. 10.

Falcon 9 rocket engines test-fired in advance of Monday launch

October 26, 2017 Stephen Clark

Moving closer toward launch Monday with a South Korean communications satellite, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket fired its nine Merlin main engines Thursday on a launch pad in Florida in a key preflight readiness test.

Video: Falcon 9 rocket completes static fire test ahead of South Korean satellite launch

October 26, 2017 Stephen Clark

SpaceX’s next Falcon 9 rocket ignited its nine Merlin engines at Kennedy Space Center’s launch pad 39A Thursday in a customary pre-flight test ahead of the company’s next mission, slated for Monday with a commercial South Korean-owned communications satellite.

Israel’s Spacecom books launch with SpaceX using pre-paid Amos 6 credits

October 26, 2017 Stephen Clark

The Israeli satellite operator Spacecom has tapped a Falcon 9 rocket to deliver its next geostationary communications satellite to orbit in 2019 using approximately $50 million in credits the company paid SpaceX for a mission last year that ended in an explosion on the launch pad.

Live coverage: SpaceX’s next Falcon 9 moved to launch pad for hotfire test

October 26, 2017 Stephen Clark

SpaceX launch crews rolled out the company’s next Falcon 9 rocket to pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, then lifted the two-stage launcher vertical for a hold-down engine firing Thursday in preparation for launch next week with a South Korean-owned commercial communications satellite.

Live coverage: SpaceX’s next Falcon 9 rocket test-fired in Florida

October 26, 2017 Stephen Clark

SpaceX launch crews rolled out the company’s next Falcon 9 rocket to pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, then lifted the two-stage launcher vertical for a hold-down engine firing Thursday in preparation for launch next week with a South Korean-owned commercial communications satellite.

Engineers hopeful Mars rover’s drill can return to service

October 25, 2017 Stephen Clark

Engineers have started testing a new way to use the Curiosity rover’s drill to bore into Martian rocks after a motor in the device stalled late last year, but ground teams are still months away from the first chance to resume drilling operations.