October 2017 – Page 7 – Spaceflight Now

Live coverage: Japanese navigation satellite launches on H-2A rocket

October 9, 2017 Stephen Clark

A Japanese H-2A rocket launched the fourth satellite for the country’s regional navigation network Monday. Liftoff from the Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan occurred at 2201:37 GMT (6:01:37 p.m. EDT).

Video: Launch to landing replay of Monday’s Falcon 9 flight

October 9, 2017 Stephen Clark

Watch this replay of Monday’s liftoff of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, followed by touchdown of the booster’s first stage on a drone ship in the Pacific Ocean.

China successfully launches Earth-imaging satellite for Venezuela

October 9, 2017 Stephen Clark

A Chinese Long March 2D rocket launched Venezuela’s second Earth-observing surveillance satellite Monday, adding a new space-based reconnaissance asset the country’s government says it will use to aid security forces, emergency responders, farmers, and health professionals.

Live coverage: Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from California, lands in Pacific

October 9, 2017 Stephen Clark

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket at 5:37 a.m. PDT (8:37 a.m. EDT; 1237 GMT) Monday from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California with the third set of 10 new-generation satellites for Iridium’s voice and data relay network. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster successfully landed on a platform in the Pacific Ocean a few minutes after liftoff.

Photos: SpaceX preps Falcon 9 rocket for launch from Vandenberg

October 8, 2017 Stephen Clark

SpaceX aims to launch a Falcon 9 rocket Monday from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California with 10 new satellites for Iridium’s tracking and message relay constellation in low Earth orbit.

Timeline for Falcon 9’s third launch of Iridium satellites

October 8, 2017 Stephen Clark

Follow the key events of the Falcon 9 rocket’s ascent to orbit with the third set of 10 next-generation satellites for Iridium’s voice and data relay fleet.

Iridium’s third batch of new satellites set for Monday launch

October 8, 2017 Stephen Clark

Ten new satellites for Iridium’s $3 billion next-generation communications network are set for launch Monday from California’s Central Coast aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

Video: Weather causes Atlas 5 countdown hold

October 6, 2017 Justin Ray

For the second day running, bad weather at Cape Canaveral forced the postponement of the NROL-52 satellite launch. Today, the weather officer stopped the countdown with 97 seconds left.

Spacewalk concludes with successful robot arm repair

October 5, 2017 William Harwood

Two astronauts ventured outside the International Space Station early Thursday and performed what amounted to hand transplant surgery on the lab’s Canadian-built robot arm, removing a crippled grapple fixture on one end of the space crane and replacing it with an on-board spare.

Pence calls for a return to the moon as a stepping stone to Mars

October 5, 2017 William Harwood

Vice President Mike Pence, chairing a revived National Space Council, said Thursday the United States will once again send astronauts to the moon, using Earth’s satellite as a critical stepping stone for eventual flights to Mars, and vowing to beef up national security space assets to counter rapidly escalating threats from adversaries.