December 2017 – Page 6 – Spaceflight Now

Live coverage: Rocket Lab’s second Electron launch delayed to early 2018

December 10, 2017 Stephen Clark

Rocket Lab announced Saturday it will hold off launching an Electron rocket on an orbital test flight until early 2018 as officials face the end of a 10-day pre-approved launch window, after a series of scrubs to ensure the booster is ready for liftoff and wait for ideal weather conditions.

Launch timeline for the Electron rocket’s second test flight

December 10, 2017 Stephen Clark

Rocket Lab’s light-class Electron launcher is set to take off on its second orbital test flight from New Zealand, aiming to deliver three small shoebox-sized CubeSats into low Earth orbit for Planet and Spire.

Chinese rocket launches with first Algerian communications satellite

December 10, 2017 Stephen Clark

A Chinese-built telecom satellite for Algeria successfully launched Sunday aboard a Long March 3B rocket, heading toward a perch more than 22,000 miles over the equator to provide television broadcasts, broadband Internet, remote education and emergency communications services.

Blue Origin could fly new suborbital vehicle this week

December 10, 2017 Stephen Clark

An airspace restriction over West Texas posted on the Federal Aviation Administration’s website and filed by Blue Origin suggests the company founded by Amazon.com’s Jeff Bezos could launch its upgraded reusable New Shepard suborbital booster for the first time this week.

Galileo navigation satellites buttoned up for launch on Ariane 5 rocket

December 8, 2017 Stephen Clark

Technicians working in the jungle of French Guiana have installed four new European Galileo navigation satellites on top of their Ariane 5 launcher, and filled the rocket’s upper stage with storable liquid propellants for liftoff Tuesday.

Rocket Lab pushes back second Electron launch to Sunday

December 7, 2017 Stephen Clark

Rocket Lab plans to roll out the company’s second light-class Electron rocket to its launch pad in New Zealand on Thursday for final countdown preparations, but officials have delayed liftoff to no earlier than Sunday night, U.S. time.

Delta 4 launch from California slips to January

December 6, 2017 Stephen Clark

The launch of a top secret National Reconnaissance Office spy satellite from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California has been pushed back from Dec. 13 until no earlier than Jan. 10 to complete software validation on the Delta 4 rocket’s new avionics system, United Launch Alliance announced Wednesday.

Test-firing at repaired launch pad clears way for SpaceX cargo flight next week

December 6, 2017 Stephen Clark

SpaceX ignited a reused Falcon 9 first stage booster at Cape Canaveral’s Complex 40 launch pad Wednesday ahead of a planned space station resupply launch Dec. 12, a major step in restoring the repaired facility to service after a catastrophic explosion interrupted operations there last year.

Video: Falcon 9 rocket test-fired at pad 40

December 6, 2017 Stephen Clark

SpaceX fired up a Falcon 9 booster at Cape Canaveral’s Complex 40 launch pad Wednesday in advance of a space station resupply launch Dec. 12, returning the pad to service after a rocket explosion there last year.

Cygnus cargo craft released from space station, setting up for CubeSat deployments

December 6, 2017 Stephen Clark

An Orbital ATK Cygnus cargo craft departed the International Space Station on Wednesday, heading for a higher orbit to deploy 14 CubeSats and an eventual de-orbit burn to dispose of more than 6,200 pounds of trash and other unneeded equipment packed by the station’s crew.