2017 – Page 60 – Spaceflight Now

China’s first robotic resupply freighter transferred to launch pad

April 17, 2017 Stephen Clark

Chinese engineers rolled out a Long March 7 rocket to a seaside launch complex on Hainan Island in the South China Sea on Monday, aiming to fire a robotic refueling freighter into orbit as soon as Thursday to test technology for China’s future space station.

Video: Atlas/OA-7 pre-launch news briefing and what’s aboard

April 17, 2017 Justin Ray

Watch the pre-launch news conference held Monday, April 17 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to preview liftoff of the Orbital ATK commercial Cygnus OA-7 cargo ship aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket for the International Space Station.

Soyuz booster moved to launch pad to loft two-man crew

April 17, 2017 Stephen Clark

A Russian Soyuz rocket rolled to its launch pad in Kazakhstan early Monday aboard a specially-designed rail car, three days before sending a Russian cosmonaut and U.S. astronaut to the International Space Station.

Photos: Atlas 5 rolled out with OA-7 Cygnus

April 17, 2017 Justin Ray

The United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket was transfered from its assembly building to the pad at Cape Canaveral’s Complex 41 today for Tuesday’s launch of a commercially-operated cargo ship to resupply the International Space Station.

Timeline: Atlas 5/OA-7 Cygnus ascent events

April 17, 2017 Justin Ray

This is the launch timeline to be followed by the Atlas 5 rocket’s ascent into orbit from Cape Canaveral with the commercial Orbital ATK Cygnus cargo freighter headed to the International Space Station. Launch is scheduled for Tuesday at 11:11 a.m. EDT (1511 GMT).

Saturn’s disk-shaped moon Atlas spotted by Cassini

April 16, 2017 Stephen Clark

One of Saturn’s peculiar moons has received an up-close look from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, which sent back the best-ever pictures of Atlas, an object shaped like a flying saucer orbiting just outside the planet’s rings.

Live coverage: Atlas 5 countdown journal and launch webcast

April 16, 2017 Justin Ray

A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral at 11:11 a.m. EDT (1511 GMT) today to boost Orbital ATK’s commercially-operated Cygnus cargo ship toward a Saturday rendezvous with the International Space Station. Follow the ascent in our live journal.

NASA and ULA plan first-ever live 360 webcast of Atlas 5 launch

April 16, 2017 Justin Ray

NASA and United Launch Alliance will offer the first-of-its-kind live webcast in 360 Virtual Reality format of Tuesday morning’s Atlas 5 rocket liftoff from Cape Canaveral with a space station cargo ship.

Brexit raises question mark over UK’s role in some European space projects

April 15, 2017 Stephen Clark

The future participation of major segments of Britain’s space industry in Europe’s Galileo navigation system and Copernicus environmental network, two multibillion-dollar flagship programs with dozens of satellites, is sure to be a significant part of negotiations as the UK withdraws from the European Union, according to a member of the European Commission.

Preview: Cygnus ship sending abundance of science to ISS

April 15, 2017 Justin Ray

Carrying more science research gear to the International Space Station than ever launched before by U.S. commercial logistics vehicles, the next Orbital ATK Cygnus freighter takes flight Tuesday.